The traditional Winter Mini-Football Tournament among international students was held at Penza State University. The tournament was organized by the Department of Student Affairs of the International Education Office of the Institute of International Cooperation of PSU, the Institute of Sport and Physical Training of PSU and the International Students Association of the Penza Region.

In 2025, the tournament was held for the tenth time. It was attended by 9 teams representing more than 8 countries - about 100 international students. The games were held in 2 stages: on February 9, the qualifying round took place, and on February 16, the teams of Tajikistan, Morocco and Sudan met in the final matches.

The honorary guests of the tournament were Gleb Sintsov, Vice-Rector for International Affairs of PSU, Sergey Ivanchin, Head of the International Education Office of the Institute of International Cooperation of PSU, Adel Ali Omar Maqbol, Chairman of the International Students Association of the Penza Region.

Last year's tournament winners, the team from Tajikistan, confirmed their champion status. Their captain looked especially bright. Not only did he score spectacular goals, but he also celebrated his football masterpieces by performing somersaults. 

"Since childhood, I have been involved not only in football, but also in acrobatics. I also love volleyball and track and field. But my football team is a priority. My guys and I play and win even in the city amateur football league and have no plans to slow down. And winning within the walls of my native university is especially honorable," shared Behruz Ruzikhodjaev.

The captain of the Sudanese team, which took second place, Sabir Ahmed, shared his impressions of the tournament: 

"Overall, we are happy with the game, but we were a little short of first place. In Sudan, we are used to playing for 90 minutes and on a large field, but here we have futsal and short halves. It is much more convenient and comfortable here, but it is still unusual. Our team is already 2 years old and we will fight for gold in the next tournament."

The bronze medal winner was the Moroccan national team.

All prize winners were awarded diplomas, medals and cups from the International Students Association of the Penza Region.