Belarus, Russia to expand sport cooperation between regions
16:05, 7 April
Photo: BelTA
The sports ministries of Belarus and Russia will work to expand cooperation between regions, Belarusian Sports and Tourism Ministry Sergei Kovalchuk said at a joint session of the collegiums of the ministries of Belarus and Russia, BelTA has learned.
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“In August 2023 we will be hosting the 2nd CIS Games, and we have offered to hold the event in a new format,” Sergei Kovalchuk said. “The program includes 11 locations: Brest, Grodno, Vitebsk, Orsha, Mogilev, Gomel, Zhlobin, Soligorsk, Borisov, Molodechno and the city of Minsk. We see that the geography of such events should be expanded, to participate more actively in various joint activities and to attract other countries to them. I think we are only at the beginning of the road in this matter.”
He stressed that today's international sport is cracking on many fronts, and on many levels the fundamental principles laid down in the sports charter are trampled. Belarusian and Russian athletes successfully resist the pressure from the outside. “Let's take biathlon. Last year we [Belarus and Russia] held a number of joint events and competitions in this sport. It was beautiful, interesting. The best athletes showed their best in a fair competition. Tyumen, Khanty-Mansiysk, Raubichi. We can expand the geography across all the other sports and disciplines. We have something to work on,” Sergei Kovalchuk said.
Sergei Kovalchuk addressed Russian Minister of Sport Oleg Matytsin with a proposal to invite representatives of all regions to the next collegium, which will be held in the neighboring country, to discuss in detail joint regional projects. He also cited revealing statistics that over just three months 400 athletes from Mogilev Oblast had participated in various sports competitions in the Russian Federation in 22 sports, and some 800 Russians had taken part in competitions in 17 sports in Mogilev Oblast. This indicates a full-fledged exchange of sports experience.
“This is true competition. Today it is very important for both athletes and fans. In turn, for Mogilev the arrival of athletes from Russia is a great event. Why do Western countries invite famous athletes, and we cannot do it? Today our joint work is organized in order to discuss all these issues and get priorities straight,” he concluded.
