National Athletes Forum held in Minsk
Athletes, coaches, heads of sports federations and other organisations from Belarus and Russia have gathered at the headquarters of the National Olympic Committee (NOC) of Belarus to discuss the most pressing issues during the National Athletes Forum. The programme of the event is rich and includes expert discussions, seminars with the participation of famous speakers, and master classes.
Welcoming the participants, Belarus’ NOC Chief Viktor Lukashenko stressed that the forum is a platform for sharing opinions, developing solutions and friendly informal communication. During its holding – and the forum has already been held for the fourth time – it has become an international event.
“The situation in the world is changing every day, and, unfortunately, this also affects sports to a greater extent. We see unfair decisions made at the international level in relation to our countries and our athletes, the possibility of their participation in the Olympic Games and international competitions. However, sport continues to be a unifying force, and Belarus-Russia co-operation is a striking example. Look at our busy international calendar, the possibility of holding joint competitions and training camps. Belarusian and Russian athletes have such a trait in the character: if someone tries to put pressure on us, we only get stronger.”
The National Athletes Forum opened with a discussion of the new reality that has come after the suspension of the two countries’ athletes from international competitions. The Head of the Russian Olympic Committee, Stanislav Pozdnyakov, said, “From 2022 to the present, our sport has become more mature and wiser; we have developed approaches enabling us to develop dynamically, think about the Olympic reserve, how to motivate the younger generation to play sports and what role top-level sports can play in this. Any crisis opens up new opportunities. We are now looking for new formats of competitions, opportunities for the development of youth sports. It is pleasant to state that though athletes were at a slight loss in 2022, today they are confidently looking to the future.”
Stanislav Pozdnyakov is convinced that sanctions and bans will end sooner or later. The main task for today is to create all conditions for sports in Belarus and Russia so that at the time of returning to full-fledged participation in international competitions, our athletes will be at the highest level of training.
During the event, Viktor Lukashenko spoke about the prospects for the performance of our athletes at the Paris Olympic Games. So far, Belarusians have won 27 licenses for the 2024 Summer Olympics.
“Athletes who have earned licenses have great prospects. We are optimistic about the future, particularly about the Olympic Games. We don’t see any big obstacles to our athletes’ participation in the Games. It’s a pity they won’t be able to perform in Paris under their own flag and with their own anthem, but we know very well that they are Belarusians and stand for Belarus. We will sing the anthem in our souls, and – if medals are claimed – the flag will rise for us.”
