MINSK, 11 December (BelTA) – The National Olympic Committee hosted a ceremony to honor well-known Belarusian athletes with jubilee medals of the Russian Ministry of Sport, BelTA learned.
Famous athletes and coaches received medals of the Ministry of Sports of Russia dedicated to the centenary jubilee of the state governing body in physical culture and sport. All in all, 20 Belarusians were honored: Olympic champions Andrey Barbashinsky (handball), Leonid Geishtor (canoeing), Ellina Zvereva (athletics), Vladimir Kaminsky (cycling), Aleksandr Karshakevich (handball), Antonina Koshel (artistic gymnastics), Marina Lobatch (rhythmic gymnastics), Aleksandr Maseikov (canoeing) and Aleksandr Medved (freestyle wrestling), Olympic medalist Igor Lapshin (athletics), honored coaches Gennady Vishnyakov (Paralympic sport), Evgeny Vorsin (hockey), Mikhail Dvoryakov (cycling), Irina Leparskaya (rhythmic gymnastics), Spartak Mironovich (handball), Oleg Raikhlin (freestyle wrestling), Leonid Khromenkov, Vladimir Shantarovich (canoeing) and Dmitry Shichko (fencing), as well as the head of the Belarusian Handball Federation Vladimir Konoplev.
Министр спорта России Олег Матыцин, старший тренер национальной команды Беларуси по борьбе вольной Олег Райхлин
Заслуженный тренер Беларуси по гребле на байдарках и каноэ Владимир Шантарович, министр спорта России Олег Матыцин
Олимпийский чемпион по гандболу, заместитель председателя Белорусской федерации гандбола Андрей Барбашинский, министр спорта России Олег Матыцин
Главный тренер национальной команды Беларуси по художественной гимнастике Ирина Лепарская, министр спорта России Олег Матыцин
Председатель Белорусской федерации гандбола Владимир Коноплев, министр спорта России Олег Матыцин
Министр спорта России Олег Матыцин, олимпийская чемпионка по спортивной гимнастке, председатель Белорусского общественного объединения “Ветераны физической культуры и спорта” Антонина Кошель
“Each of you has made a huge contribution to the development of sport in the Soviet Union and the Republic of Belarus and continues this work to this day. Last week, a similar event was held in Russia, where people who dedicated their lives to sports and forged the glory of the country were honored. I would like to congratulate everyone and to thank Oleg Matytsin and the leadership of the Ministry of Sport of the Russian Federation for this initiative,” Belarusian Sport and Tourism minister Sergei Kovalchuk said.
Сергей Ковальчук
“For a hundred years, we have been a single sports family. The Soviet era was a golden age for sport, we were proud of our victories, without dividing the athletes. The large Soviet team was, on the one hand, a formidable opponent, and on the other hand, a reliable partner of the international sport. Today, our countries continue to work constructively, despite the sanctions. We are working very closely with our Belarusian colleagues. We have a single calendar, our national teams in many sports participate in joint competitions,” Russian Minister of Sport Oleg Matytsin said. “I would like to thank all the athletes and coaches of the Republic of Belarus: we remain one family and, despite all the difficulties, continue an effective dialogue with the international sports community. Next year, our countries will again host major events, where we will once again demonstrate openness, hospitality and respect for Olympic values.”
