Belarus scoops first awards at 2013 Deaflympics in Bulgaria

         Team Belarus have won four medals at the 2013 Deaflympics, the competition for deaf sportsmen sanctioned by the International Olympic Committee. In 2013 Bulgaria’s Sofia hosts the tournament for the second time in history. 
        Belarus won one gold, two silver and one bronze medal in the swimming events at the Deaflympics. Natalia Deyeva won the women’s 100m breaststroke gold, Alexandra Petrushenko bagging the silver medal in the same event. In the women’s 200m backstroke Maria Rudko took the other silver. Yekaterina Yeremtsova won the third place in the women’s 50m butterfly.
Track and field and fighting competitions have also kicked off at 2013 Deaflympics. Belarusians are eager to win some medals there, too.
      Belarus is also represented in the basketball and volleyball competitions at the tournament in Sofia. The basketball team are playing in the group stage after which best teams will enter quarterfinals. Belarus have already played three matches in Group A. They won against Italy and lost to Ukraine and the U.S. Belarus have only one group stage game to play against outsiders China. Belarus have so far gained four points and occupy the fourth place in their section. Group B includes Russia, Japan, Lithuania and Greece. One team from group A will not enter the playoff stage.