Travels of Šalčininkai inhabitants: resting in the mountains, competing in Warsaw

The group of 40 young people from the Šalčininkai region returned from Poland with a sizable collection of medals. During three weeks in the motherland, the youth from Eišiškės, Šalčininka and Baltoji Vokė took part in the final of the XXVI International Parafiada of Children and Youth in Warsaw as well as they were resting in the youth camp. In the sporting event more than 1,5 thousand people took part. There were players from Poland, Russia, Lithuania, Latvia, Belarus, Germany, Ukraine and Uzbekistan.

Not for the first time the team from the Šalčininkai region took part in the competition organized by the Parafiada Association of Saint Joseph Calasanz. International Parafiada of Children and Youth is conducted each year by the Polish organization. Parafiada is an authorial programme created  in 1988 by Piarists on a basis of ancient Greek triad – the theatre – the temple and experience gained during a 400-year tradition of Calasanz School.

The Parafiada Association of Saint Joseph Calasanz owns the copyright to the Parafiada. On its basis the annual, multi-system competition is created. Its aim is to promote and disseminate the activity in accordance with the triad of the stadium – the theatre – the temple, aiming to the complete personal development of children and young people at all levels of education.

Before the competition the school youth from the Šalčininkai region for two weeks was resting in a resort in the Polish Tatra Mountains where they were admiring the charms of mountains – they were wandering mountain trails as well as they participated in various art competitions and sport games.

Subsequently rested young athletes went to Warsaw where they took part in the basketball tournament, deck tennis, natation and athletics. The result of the competition at the Warsaw University of Life Sciences and the University of Physical Education in Warsaw became gold medals won by basketball players. Athletes from Baltoji Vokė also gained the entire collection of medals from the Polish capital – they participated in the tournament of deck tennis players.