News & Events in Belarus

MINSK, 25 August (BelTA) – The National Olympic Committee (NOC) of Belarus will play host to the congress of the European Union of Sports Press and a seminar for mass media on 11-13 September. Attending the forum will be 40 representatives of 25 countries, BelTA learnt from the NOC press service.

Following the Belarusian capital being selected as the venue for the summer European Youth Olympic Festival 2019 (EYOF 2019) and Darya Domracheva’s victory in the nomination Athlete of the Year 2014, the Belarusian Association of Sports Press received a letter from the European Union of Sports Press with a proposal to organize its third congress and a seminar for mass media in Minsk. The action plan was supported in the National Olympic Committee of Belarus that is the main organizer of the seminar. The event was approved by the European Olympic Committees and will take place in Minsk as part of the Olympic Solidarity program.

It is expected that the Belarusian capital will welcome representatives of Austria, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Bulgaria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Hungary, Greece, Ireland, Spain, Italy, Lithuania, Malta, Moldova, Serbia, Russia, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Ukraine, Finland, France, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Switzerland and Sweden.

Attending the event will be President of the International Sports Press Association (AIPS) Gianni Merlo (Italy), AIPS Europe President Yannis Daras (Greece), and AIPS Europe Secretary General Charles Camenzuli (Malta), heads and secretaries general of the national associations, as well as observers and correspondents. Among the guests of honor in Minsk will be President of the European Fair Play Movement Christian Hinterberger, Vice President of the European Taekwondo Union Igor Iuzefovici, Vice President of the European University Sports Association Leonz Eder.

The participants of the congress and the seminar will be given tours around Minsk Arena, the National Olympic Centers in Ratomka and Raubichi. European journalists will take part in the coverage of the competitions of the Race of Legends biathlon festival, and the Minsk International Marathon. Raubichi will host an award ceremony for Darya Domracheva named Athlete of the Year 2014 by European journalists.

The seminar at the NOC headquarters will include a forum to discuss mass media rights in Europe (radio broadcasting), the presentations of the European Youth Olympic Festival 2019 in Minsk and other sports events Belarus will host in 2015 and 2016.

The organizers of the congress of the European Union of Sports Press and the seminar for mass media are the National Olympic Committee of Belarus, the European Olympic Committees, the Sport and Tourism Ministry of Belarus, and the Belarusian Association of Sports Press.