NOC President told young wrestlers in Shklov District about his youth sporting achievements
President of Belarus’ National Olympic Committee Viktor Lukashenko met with young wrestlers and coaches of the Shklov District’s specialised children and youth sports school of the Olympic Reserve – about 30 youngsters in total. Friendly communication took place in the wrestling hall of the educational establishment, where the NOC Head had practised this sport for five years, BelTA reports.
Chairman of the Belarusian Wrestling Federation, two-time world champion in Greco-Roman wrestling Alim Selimov and the silver medallist of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics in women’s wrestling, a native of the Mogilev Region, Iryna Kurachkina, also joined the conversation with the younger athletes. The guests together with children settled down right on the tatami, encouraging a casual and open conversation. Viktor Lukashenko spoke about his sports past and answered various questions: why he chose this sport, what significant victories and most serious injuries he had in his life, what qualities are needed to achieve high results, what the future NOC Head was fond of besides wrestling and how he spent free time.
Meanwhile, Viktor Lukashenko won his first silver medal in the wrestling hall of this sports school. According to him, there were few options in choosing a sport for practicing in the district centre. He preferred freestyle wrestling to football and athletics. He says that in childhood he was a strong guy, and when their school class was brought to the sports school for selection, the coach immediately identified him as one of the promising guys for wrestling. Trainings were held in different ways and, like any child, he had to fight with himself in some way, e.g., most of all he did not like to work out techniques and exercises on the horizontal bar; it was difficult from the moral point of view.”
During the conversation, Viktor Lukashenko advised children not to be afraid of failures and defeats, “Only when you lose, you will win and climb the stairs. I’m very glad to be in my own sports school today and communicate with the youngsters. Much has changed here over more than three decades. Unlike current athletes, we didn’t even have a uniform, let alone everything else. Now everything is different: children have the opportunity to train and achieve serious results. Today, the Chairman of the Belarusian Wrestling Federation, two-time world champion, as well as Olympic medallist Iryna Kurachkina, who also came from the district town, talked to them. Youngsters have someone to look up to, everything is in their hands. If there is determination, desire and self-discipline, then everything will work out not only in sports, but also in any other endeavour.”
Viktor Lukashenko wished children health and positive, as well as the ability to set goals and achieve them.
“Wrestling is a difficult sport that requires constant routine work,” he stressed.
At the end of the friendly meeting, the guests presented the young people with sports uniform and the necessary equipment for the training and competitive process.
