True athletes keep the flag and anthem in their hearts

The President of Belarus received a report on the development of sports. Attending the meeting were Sport and Tourism Minister Sergei Kovalchuk, Deputy Head of the Belarus President Administration Igor Lutsky, Deputy Prime Minister Igor Petrishenko, President of the National Olympic Committee Viktor Lukashenko.

“Here are the people who are responsible for the development of sport in our country. Yet, I sometimes wonder: what to develop here? What else is needed in order for our teams, our athletes to perform at the highest level? During this meeting, I would like to hear from you what is missing, what sports grounds, facilities and other things do you need to win 20-30 medals at the Olympics. We used to do that when we had no sports facilities at all,” stressed the Head of State. Aleksandr Lukashenko is convinced that everything is in place in Belarus to discover and nurture talent, to determine in what sport a child can excel the most. 

Maksim Nedasekau
PHOTO BY BELTA

“Rhythmic gymnastics, artistic gymnastics, athletics... Please, choose. Coaches spot someone and take them under their wing. What else do you need? If we have to pay for good, high results, say how much? But first, show the necessary results,” the President emphasised.
The Head of State continued with irony, “The World Cup is on. I somehow didn’t spot our football players there. Or am I just missing something? They are nowhere near. Moreover, I compare the performance of our football players with the football played at the World Cup today. And as a former football player who played a lot of football, I just get scared. This sport [football], like many others, is in dire straits in our country.”
Aleksandr Lukashenko also asked if Belarusian athletes, along with Russian ones, would be allowed to participate in the next Olympic Games. He was told that no final decision was taken on this matter yet.
Returning to the topic of sanctions the domestic sport is subjected to, the President stressed that if they put pressure on you, then you need to strive to show even better results, 

“And you tell me about sanctions. If you are pressured, you should push back even harder in sport, that is how I see it. If people know that they are unfairly punished, they go all out and show even better results. Do we do it? We don’t. How come, the more we invest in a sport, the less we get?”

 The Head of State shared his thoughts, “It is bad that they have to compete without state symbols (flag, anthem and other things). But it’s not a disaster. True athletes, not the ones who fled abroad and who have not improved their performance since then, keep the flag and anthem in their hearts. This is how it should be if you are true athletes. They compete primarily for people. Not only for themselves but for people, their family, children, who will follow in their footsteps in the future. Money and other benefits are less important.”
Aleksandr Lukashenko demanded answers to these questions, since they are related to another topic of the report — the ‘On Measures to Stimulate Good Performance in Sport’ bill. 
“You came to me asking for salaries and incentives for athletes. Listen, such topic has to be discussed secretly somewhere in a dark corner so that people will not hear. If they do, not only you will come in for heavy criticism (at least you deserve it), but also I will. People will ask: What are you paying them money for?! They [athletes] play football, hockey or some other skating [sports] — speed skating, short track like they are half-dead. Therefore, I want to hear what you have to offer,” said the President.
Aleksandr Lukashenko wanted to see the government’s concept of financial incentives for athletes for achieving results.

“If you say that we need to support athletes, I am on board with it. Yet, this pertains only to those athletes who show world-class results. 

Is it so hard to compare your performance in the 100-metre dash with the best results at another world championship? This should be a benchmark. If one shows a high result at the level of first, second, third place, this person will be able to claim commensurate benefits, subsidies, and so on,” considers the President.
The Head of State recalled the upcoming 2023 CIS Games. 
“This will be a test for you, the most serious criterion. Well, if after this rearrangement of personnel at the beginning of the year, if you hold on to this position, then there is nowhere else to go. If you fail at the second Games, I’ll tell you frankly, you have nothing to do in sports,” the Belarusian leader warned.
The outcome of the conversation was later reported to journalists by Sport and Tourism Minister Sergei Kovalchuk. The minister considers the criticism from the President for the lack of results in some sports unconditionally fair.  “The Head of State gave instructions on the development of certain areas. First of all, on joint actions with athletes of the Russian Federation during the period of sanctions, in the period of preparation for holding sports events, on loading sports facilities, on holding various competitions at a high organisational level, including the Second CIS Games, which will be held next year in our country, for the training of coaching staff,” he said.
Answering journalists’ questions, Sergei Kovalchuk assured that a differentiated approach to remuneration of athletes and coaches would be observed and included in the draft decree. Moreover, such decisions are envisaged at the level of the commission so that none of the coaches who do a lot of work or athletes are offended and that everyone is adequately rewarded in accordance with the results they show.
“For example, Anastasia Maslova threw a hammer at 74 metres this season. This is the level of a European champion. So, she should receive the corresponding remuneration in accordance to the level of the European Championship,” the minister explained. He also gave an example of the performance of Tatsiana Khaladovich, who threw a javelin at 66 metres, and this is the level of the European Championship, the silver medallist of the World Championships.
As for specific sports, federations where work is not organised in a worthy manner, they cannot cope and there is no result, the minister is sure that they need to be spurred on, including by making personnel decisions. 
“Those people who do not cope with the tasks set will look for work elsewhere, will be engaged in other activities,” he emphasised.
Sergei Kovalchuk is convinced that even in the current conditions, when there are restrictions on the admission of Belarusian athletes to international competitions in some sports, they have enough competitive practice. 

“In many sports, the competition with the athletes of the Russian Federation is much higher than the competition in the European arena. Our task is to train and be ready at any time at any competition to adequately represent our country, raising the flag of our Motherland high,” Sport and Tourism Minister Sergei Kovalchuk concluded.

Answering journalists’ questions, Sergei Kovalchuk assured that a differentiated approach to remuneration of athletes and coaches would be observed and included in the draft decree — the President has already supported the document.

Based on materials of sb.by and belta.by