Mikhail Prokopenko. File photo
MINSK, 21 December (BelTA) – Belarusian athletes continue to perform hours of training despite the unfair sanctions imposed by many international sports structures, head of the national teams department of the Belarusian Sport and Tourism Ministry Mikhail Prokopenko said at a coaches’ conference in Minsk, BelTA has learned.
“We do not make any predictions of when and where we can be given a chance to compete. Athletes fulfill their training plans in full in order to be at the optimal level of performance for the important competitions, show high results and make their fans happy. If Belarusians compete, for example, at the Olympics in a neutral status, we will unfurl our flag the moment we return home,” Mikhail Prokopenko stressed.
In his words, a lot of competitions were held in cooperation with Russia in 2023. The calendar of the main competitions was synchronized with the World and European Championships, so that athletes reach their peak form during these periods. Thanks to cooperation with Russia and other friendly countries, there are even more competitions, which gives an opportunity to test not only the best athletes but also the reserve. Coaches who work with athletes at different levels of training play the most important role in this process, Mikhail Prokopenko said.
The conference held at the Belarusian State University of Physical Education on 21 December highlighted the training of coaching staff, new methods of work in various sports. The conference was attended by about 400 specialists from all regions of Belarus. Training methods were presented by, head coach of the national rhythmic gymnastics team Irina Leparskaya, senior coach of the team Liubov Charkashyna, senior coach of the Belarusian national modern pentathlon team Anatoly Tkachenko, ice hockey coach Yevgeny Vorsin, and other well-known specialists.
