Baltic Military Sports Winter Games bring several gold medals to Estonia

TALLINN - Members of the Estonian Defence Forces and the Young Eagles won numerous awards at the Baltic Military Sports Winter Games held in Narva.

"The games organized in Narva showed that sports not only strengthen the friendship between the Baltic states but also deepen the bond with the local community. We thank the city of Narva and the local sports clubs who helped organize the games professionally," said Lieutenant Colonel Vladimir Kolotõgin, commander of the Kalev Infantry Battalion, representing the Defence Forces at the closing ceremony.

In ice hockey, Estonia took first place, followed by Latvia in second and Lithuania in third. In the 3x2 kilometer ski relay, the gold medal was won by Joonas Vähi, Sirli Hanni, and Marten-Jakob Ristimägi from the Estonian Defence Forces.

Additionally, Estonians secured silver medals in sport fishing (Sergeant Major Tauno Tuul and Karol Treial) and a bronze medal in the Hyrox relay competition (Major Margit Vaarma and Junior Seaman Ardi Bogdanov). In the youth category, the Young Eagles team won the gold medal in dodgeball, while the Home Daughters team took silver. The Young Eagles also won a silver medal in the Hyrox relay competition.

"We received praise from the competitors of all delegations regarding the execution of the competition program, and the Baltic Games can be considered a complete success. Thanks to all our partners who played a significant role in making them successful," said Mikk Sarik, the sports manager for the Estonian Defence Forces.

The Baltic Military Sports Winter Games have been held since 2014, with each Baltic state hosting the event on a rotating basis. This was the fourth time the winter games were held in Estonia, with nearly 180 competitors participating. The aim of the games is to unite the military personnel of the participating countries through sports.