News & Events in Belarus

MINSK, 11 March (BelTA) – Belarus will host the 6^th World University Canoe Sprint Championship in 2014. The decision has been made at the Executive Committee Meeting of the International University Sports Federation (FISU) in Brussels, BelTA learnt from head of the Belarusian delegation at the Executive Committee Meeting, Director of the National Center for Physical Education and Sport for Students Valentina Balyabo.

The bid to host the world university championship was submitted by the National Center for Physical Education and Sport for Students that has been representing Belarus’ interests in FISU since 1993. The initiative was upheld by the Education Ministry, the Ministry of Sport and Tourism, the Belarus Canoe Association, the Minsk City Hall and the Minsk Oblast Executive Committee.

The participants of the Executive Committee Meeting heard out presentations of the delegations of Portugal and Belarus. The Executive Committee led by FISU President Claude-Louis Gallien decided in favor of Belarus. Thus, our country will play host to the WUC Canoe Sprint in August 2014. The championship will be held at the National Center for Olympic Training in Rowing in Zaslavl, Minsk Oblast.

The world university championships, as well as summer and winter universiades, are a student version of Olympic Games. They are held every two years under the aegis of FISU. Belarusian students have won a total of 156 medals (40 gold, 55 silver and 61 bronze medals) at the world university championships. “The medal standing determined the global rating of student sport. Belarus advanced to the top 25 countries in the ranking leaving behind Canada, Belgium, Sweden, Turkey, Spain, Hungary, Germany, the UK, Norway, Kazakhstan and other countries,” Valentina Balyabo said.

Belarusian students have successfully performed at the FISU rowing events. This year rowing has been included in the summer universiade to be held in Kazan (the Russian Federation). Belarusian students will definitely take part in these events,” Valentina Balyabo said.

In 2008-2012 Belarusian students won 22 medals at rowing world championships, including 11 gold, 8 silver and 3 bronze medals. “This sport is getting increasingly popular in Belarus,” Valentina Balyabo said. She emphasized that Belarus has significantly improved physical infrastructure of rowing facilities that now can host world-level events. Belarusian rowers are among the strongest in the world. Athletes Alexander Bogdanovich, Alexei Abalmasov, Artur Litvinchuk became Olympic champions in 2009; Andrei Bogdanovich and Alexander Bogdanovich, Marina Poltoran, Olga Khudenko, Nadezhda Popok and Irina Pomelova won medals at the 2012 Olympic Games.