News & Events in Belarus

MINSK, 8 April (BelTA) – Belarus’ sport infrastructure will be able to host any international competitions in athletics starting from 2017, Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko said as he met with President of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) Sebastian Coe on 8 April, BelTA has learned.

“Next year Belarus will be ready to host any athletic competition. We have been modernizing our national stadium with the focus on athletics. It will be good for football, but it will be a track and field stadium with an additional training field and all necessary facilities and equipment for training,” said the Belarusian leader.

Alexander Lukashenko noted that although Belarus is not among the world’s great powers but it is the country with its own sport traditions. “We have good schools that we preserved from the Soviet times. We still lack some persistence and perhaps attention. We have enough specialists in any sport, but we lack organization and complete commitment to high standards from coaches and athletes. It would be worse if we lacked money or skills. Everything else can be helped,” the President noted.

“If we are fair in sport, I am confident that Belarusian athletes will make themselves even more noticed on the global arena, the Olympic Games. I tell this because I know your stance and commitment to honesty in sport. You can rely on Belarus in this respect,” Alexander Lukashenko added.

The head of state also recalled the times when Sebastian Coe was part of sport competitions. “I remember my youth and Sebastian Coe on the race track whom I did not support of course as next to you there always were our great athletes. But I have always admired you,” stressed Alexander Lukashenko.