Press releases

MINSK, 13 April (BelTA) – Belarusian athletes show poor results in cross-country skiing and we need to rectify the situation in the sport, Belarus President and President of the National Olympic Committee Alexander Lukashenko said at a session held on 13 April to discuss the development of winter sports, BelTA has learned.

“We have no results in the sport. We need to get out of this hole,” Alexander Lukashenko said.

According to Chairman of the Belarusian Cross-Country Skiing Federation Andrei Kovalenko, one of the problems with forming a strong national team is the coaches who, fearing considerable cuts in salaries, do not want to transfer promising athletes to the next link in the chain of training.

The president noted that the coach who transfers his promising athlete to the next link in the chain of training needs to be paid. “The coaches who discover and train talents need to be encouraged. They need to be paid for this. Thus, they will be better motivated in the work they do,” the head of state said.

Alexander Lukashenko added that the advancement of the athlete from initial training up to the elite sport is the essence of the sport.