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Lukashenko encourages athletes to compete for victory

MINSK, 28 November (BelTA) – Athletes should compete, first of all, for victory, not for money, Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko said at the meeting with members of the national rowing team on 28 November. He said that modern sport is a war without rules, BelTA informs.

“How can people compete for money? I don’t understand. You should always compete for victory. After victory you can ask what you want – money, housing, land plots, etc. But what are you going to tell people without sports results?” Aleksandr Lukashenko wondered.
The president believes that athletes of all teams are equal a priori. “Russians, Canadians, Czechs, Swedes, Finns have two legs, two arms, one head,” he explained referring to ice hockey players. “If your arms or heads don’t help much, use your legs, don’t allow your opponents to take the pack or the ball. Use your physical strength and fight if you cannot win beautifully.”

Chief coach of the national rowing team Vladimir Shantarovich also believes that athletes should compete for victory rather than for the sake of experience or competition. “Only athletes who went through such inner competition should take part in the Olympics. They are not going there to row, they are going there to fight. They are warriors. They should fight and win medals,” he stressed. According to the chief coach, such rowers will represent Belarus at the Olympics.

“You should discuss all this with heads of our sports federations and athletes,” the president replied.

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