Press releases

MINSK, 13 December (BelTA) – A record number of young athletes will receive scholarships from the Belarus President’s Sport Club in 2018, BelTA has learned.

On 13 December the National Olympic Committee played host to a ceremony to award the corresponding certificates to 245 promising athletes and coaches who have been determined by the central council of the President’s Sport Club for scholarships in 2018.

According to the club, 178 out of 210 athletes from the list claimed the champion title or won medals at the world and European championships, World and European Cups in 2017.

Kristina Staroselets and Tatyana Klimovich won the World and European Youth Rowing Championships. The Belarusian national U18 volleyball team placed 3^rd at the 2017 CEV U18 Volleyball European Championship in the Netherlands. Judoka Daniel Mukete clinched the European champion title. Cyclist Evgeny Korolek topped the World Cup men’s scratch race standings.

Among the scholarship receivers are also biathletes, skaters, aerials athletes, and, for the first time, snowboarders.

Chairman of the Central Council of the President’s Sport Club Dmitry Lukashenko stressed, addressing the young athletes, that the sporting base in Belarus is varied and representative. “Less than two months has left until the Winter Olympics in South Korea. The avant-garde of the Belarusian sports movement is approaching “the home stretch” in the preparation for the games, while we will continue discovering new talents. The absolute majority of the athletes who are present here today are winners or medalists of different big international competitions. It is a new height that shows not only the quantity but the quality of training of young athletes,” Dmitry Lukashenko said.

He wished the young athletes to take the best of their talent. “Scholarships of the President’s Sport Club are not a result but the next step up your sporting career ladder,” Dmitry Lukashenko said.

Taking part in the scholarship awards ceremony was First Vice President of the National Olympic Committee Andrei Astashevich and Deputy Sports and Tourism Minister Mikhail Portnoi.

The average annual scholarship is Br7143 for athletes and Br7600 for coaches.