Second European Games in Belarus

MINSK, 9 July (BelTA) - Test competitions for the 2nd European Games MINSK 2019 will begin in August, Belarus’ Sport and Tourism Minister Sergei Kovalchuk said in an interview with the ONT TV channel on 8 July, BelTA has learned.

The minister spoke about the country's readiness to host the large-scale sporting event. “Already in August we will start holding test events. Many of the facilities are ready. Some are being added finishing touches. The preparations are on schedule. We have a plan of action. We have qualified specialists. All want to show the country in the best possible light and also to show the results in sports. It is hard for me to say which is of these things is more important. As a sports functionary, I think the results in sports are very important. But as a man of the state I believe it is important to show the country to the people who will come to these European Games,” the minister said.

When asked about mass sports and big sports results, he stressed the importance of both. “Mass sport is very important because it is the people's health and is the health of the entire nation. The more people engage in different sports, the more they will be distracted from any negative moments in life. the result in the sport is our pride. We represent the interests of the country. We show ourselves on the world stage. We compare ourselves with other countries and show what we are capable of. We have a lot of very talented young athletes who are ready to show these results,” |Sergei Kovalchuk noted.

The 2nd European Games are scheduled to take place at 12 sport venues in Minsk on 21-30 June 2019. Over 4,000 athletes from 50 countries will compete for 201 sets of awards in 15 sports. The competitions in 10 sports will offer qualification opportunities for the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo.