News & Events in Belarus

The Global Sports Cities Index 2016 was revealed during the Global Sports Tourism Summit at the World Travel Market in London in November. The document includes data on 610 cities which have hosted, or will host, events across 146 categories, in 75 sports (in 2010-2023).

Minsk was one of the biggest movers inside the Global Sports Cities Index going up by 32 positions to the 19^th place (with 4,643 points). The organization of the 45^th General Assembly of the European Olympic Committees on 20-22 October 2016 contributed to the success of the Belarusian capital in the Index. The EOC General Assembly in Minsk was attended by a great number of representatives of the sports industry, including the ANOC, EOC presidents, representatives of the national Olympic committees, organizing committees of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, the Youth Olympic Games and the European Youth Olympic Festivals. Under the decision of the majority of the EOC General Assembly delegates, Minsk received the right to host one of the biggest continental sports forums, the Second European Games, where the best athletes from 50 EOC member states will compete for medals in 2019.

The Belarusian capital has the experience of hosting big international competitions, having hosted so far the 2010 KHL All-Star Game, the 2012 World Junior Figure Skating Championships, the 2014 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship, the 2015 AMF Futsal Men's World Cup and the 2015 European Rhythmic Gymnastics Championships.

Budapest, one of the 2024 Olympic Games candidate city, made it inside the top 10, climbing five places to seventh in the Index. Los Angeles, another 2024 Olympics candidate city, was ranked 34^th, while Rome, which withdrew its bid for the 2024 Olympic Games earlier this year, goes 42^nd.

London has been awarded the title of top Global Sports City in the 2016 Sportcal Global Sports Cities Index for the fifth consecutive year.