Opinions & Interviews

Lukashenko: Belarus has everything for the athletes to win Olympic medals

MINSK, 26 February (BelTA) – Belarus has everything for the athletes to win Olympic medals but there is no accountability for spending the appropriated funds, BelTA learned from Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko on 26 February.

Aleksandr Lukashenko said: “What do we lack for training and preparations in order to win medals? We have everything, an excellent foundation for winter sports and there are schools.”

The president reminded that even ski production had begun in Belarus. The skis may not be a premium product, the top models are bought for competitions but Belarusian gear will quite suffice for training sessions, he noted. Apart from that, all the equipment for making ski tracks is available, too. Even snow groomers (ratracs) are manufactured domestically.

“In other words, we have everything. And there are also sensible athletes, who can work with little kids, and there are gray-haired coaches. But there is no accountability for spending the money the state allocates. I am sorry but athletes and coaches are out of line a bit. No one in Norway or even Russia would retain their jobs after this [unsuccessful performance during the Olympic Games]. Even in rich Norway that has plenty of money thanks to oil. The same is true for Russia. Let alone America: if you fail the first competition, the coach gets the sack. If the athlete fails to perform during the next competition, his or her career will end,” the head of state stressed. “But in Belarus they can take it easy. Why? Because nobody pays for failures the way they would pay abroad.”

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