Alexander Lukashenko discusses pressing issues of sports industry at Olympic meeting

Belarus should be represented at the Tokyo Olympics by a sports team ready to fight not only the rivals, but also the circumstances. At the Olympic meeting today, Alexander Lukashenko discussed the pressing issues of the sports industry in the light of the major starts of the four-year period. 

The games in Tokyo were postponed by a year because of the coronavirus, and it is still not clear what conditions they will be held in. And the Belarusians, as far as training is concerned, are envied by their foreign colleagues. The centers for Olympic sports allow effective and safe training in lockdown conditions. Moreover, foreign teams come to our training camps.

Yury Moiseyevich, head coach of the Belarusian athletics team: "Look at our sports facilities today. They are among the best in the world. We have a state development program, about 150 schools, 11 colleges of the Olympic reserve."

The athletes' victories produce a unifying effect on the nation, that is why the government pays so much attention to sport. Athletics is expected to be the main component of the Belarusian delegation to Tokyo. It already has 18 licenses and plans to get about 30. Among them there are obvious favorites, including Kholodovich, and the holder of the best result of the season in the world Maksim Nedosekov. 

The greatness of the countries in the modern world is often proved by sport victories. In the last decade, the superpowers have been especially zealous in this field and won the lion's share of medals. 

It is supposed that by the end of the qualification period Belarusians will have 110-120 licenses, and the athletes are extremely motivated. 

Usually, before the Olympics there is no shortage of medal predictions, but not this time! The pandemic virtually cancelled the last international competition season. In these circumstances the country's well-developed athletic infrastructure came in handy. About 300 athletes have a complete closed cycle of training at the best bases, which function in a closed regime. The state has done everything possible, but maybe something else is needed. Today the President opened the discussion with the champions with the question: what do Belarusian athletes lack to win?

During the meeting they vividly discussed various urgent issues: politically motivated attacks on the National Olympic Committee of Belarus as well as the development of our sport. Sergei Rutenko, once the most expensive handball player in the world, saw with his own eyes how the sport is organized in Europe and spoke about the obvious advantages of the Belarusian model.

Sergei Rutenko, six-time winner of the handball Champions League: "The most important plus is an opportunity for everyone, that is, many places where children can engage in various sports, accessibility for all segments of the population to engage both in physical education and any professional sport."

Anastasia Mironchik-Ivanova, silver medalist of the II European Games in Athletics: “It’s unpleasant that this political topic has touched our country. I really would not want sports to be part of politics, so I wish all athletes to concentrate and responsibly go to the Olympic Games. And I hope we will represent the honor of our country, our team at the Olympic Games."

Kholodovich, Mironchik-Ivanova, Sabalenka, Azarenka are our hopes for the Olympics in Tokyo. 

Sergey Khmelkov, director of the center for summer sports "Stayki": "There are people in the national teams who are ready to represent their country, the flag that has been with us for a long time, and show the highest results. They understand what homeland is, that this is not just a word, that this is really an important moment for everyone, for which sportsmen go out and give all their strength. The people of Belarus, for the most part, support us and support our state symbols. Therefore, we do not even worry about it."

The Olympics meeting gathered not only to discuss the games in Tokyo and preparations for them. The election of the NOC President is on the agenda.

Viktor Lukashenko will now head the NOC. Since April 2019 he served as First Vice President, and in November of the same year he was elected to this post by the Olympic Assembly.

After the formation of the new composition of the executive committee, Anton Yuspa proposed to elect Alexander Lukashenko as Honorary President of the NOC, but the head of state did not support the proposal.

Alexander Lukashenko promised that he will continue to closely watch the sport, because he sincerely loves it. He wished the new team in Tokyo to perform brightly. The door to the presidential office will remain open for the champions and patriots of Belarus."