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Belarus to roll out high-quality skis by next winter

MINSK, 11 February (BelTA) – By the next winter Belarus will launch the production of good skis that can be used in mass sports and in training of athletes. For top-tier athletes the country will procure equipment from the global brands, Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko told the media during the Minsk Ski Race 2019 on 9 February, BelTA has learned.

“I promise you that we will produce good skis. Of course, for such athletes as Dasha Domracheva or Nadia Skardino we will select the equipment from among leading ski producers. It is not that easy to be up to par with the best manufacturers. I am not setting such a goal. We need skis for training of athletes. Upon reaching certain level, or the highest level, the athlete will be able to choose from the world’s best producers,” the president said.

Alexander Lukashenko stressed that the domestic production of good skis is only a matter of time: “This time frame is one year. We will have good skis by next winter.” “We now produce boots, sticks, everything. Marko footwear producer gave me the boots. These are excellent boots. I did not like the first pair. But the second one is top-notch. They hold skis very well. Well done! We produce skis for beginners. But we need skis for medium and up levels. We will launch the production of such skis. In the meantime, we have purchased the gear we do not produce. All athletes are prodded with everything necessary,” the Belarusian leader said.

Speaking about the selection of skis for athletes, the president said that it is wrong to think that any pair of skis by a world-famous manufacturer would do for top-level competitions: “Domracheva is so fast just because her pair of skis is one in a thousand.”

Alexander Lukashenko said that he himself had difficulties in choosing the right skis. In summer he ordered Fischer skis and specialists chose only one pair from a dozen offered. “I feel it when skis are good or bad,” the head of state said.

“Today I used this pair of Fischer skis. They are not skiing. I had to change them for Rossignol. I rarely use them,” the Belarusian leader said.

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