Belarus’ Sports and Tourism Minister: Lukashenko set task to revise entire system of athletic training by July

The President of Belarus, Aleksandr Lukashenko, has set the task of re-examining the entire system of athletic training by July, Sports and Tourism Minister Sergei Kovalchuk told reporters, commenting on the results of the report to the Head of State on the development of Belarusian football

Sergei Kovalchuk stated that Aleksandr Lukashenko critically assessed the results in many sports, “The state invests a lot of money, and we must show results, using these funds wisely and investing in athletes. There should be returns in all forms. On the example of team sports, particularly football, [we have discussed] what needs to be done so that the result is visible already in the near future. The simplest thing the President said: if you can’t compete at world level competitions, show results in Russia.”

The Minister noted that problematic issues in every sport have their own roots, e.g., a clear system for training would-be athletes was not built somewhere.

Sergei Kovalchuk asserted, “Today, the task is to revise the entire system of training athletes before July, together with the National Olympic Committee and federations in each sport, starting from the basic foundation: children’s sports.”

Moreover, it will be necessary to assess the qualifications of coaches and the criteria used when athletes move from one level to another, for their compliance with international standards and requirements.

“Today we need to prepare physically strong, developed athletes who are ready and should compete. Each sport needs to conduct such a revision. We now need to breathe a second life into children’s sports, particularly into sports in the countryside, where traditions may have been lost, especially in two popular sports: athletics and football. This should be in every district centre,” the Minister summed up.