Sports hobbies
For the President it all started with a soccer ball, like for thousands of Belarusian boys. Football remains his number one passion. But due to a knee injury he had to change his preferences in sport. Today the Belarusian President is known all over the world as a leader of an amateur ice hockey team. Aleksandr Lukashenko’s sons are also fond of hockey. The President’s younger son Nikolai plays with him on the same team.
Aleksandr Lukashenko is convinced that sport is very important for an executive professional. During the visit to the Academy of Public Administration he emphasized:
Football, ice hockey, skiing, roller skiing, game sports, cycling and tennis are all the sports the Belarusian leader is keen on. Biathlon deserves a special mention. It is Belarus’ national sport supported by hundreds of fans. Aleksandr Lukashenko was also a frequent participant in the amateur biathlon tournament Minsk Ski Track.
Apart from doing sports, Aleksandr Lukashenko greatly enjoys watching sports. He personally congratulates athletes on every victory, follows major events, inspects venues for competitions, and communicates with athletes a lot. It takes desire to come to the starting line and willpower to reach the finish line. Only training, strategy and tactics can secure a place on the victory podium.
The state does everything for Belarusian athletes to secure victories, for the Belarusian anthem to play and for the Belarusian flag to wave in world arenas. There are ice palaces, stadiums, and multi-purpose sports facilities in many Belarusian cities. Children use them to make their first steps in different sports to become a powerful force under the Belarusian flag in the future.
The President’s instructions to start manufacturing Belarusian sports gear were prompted by these considerations. For instance, instructions were given to revive the Telekhany ski brand, which was once famous from Warsaw all the way to Vladivostok. So that every school student, every beginner athlete, or a father teaching his son how to ski could speed up and easily race on skis of Belarusian make.
Belarus is a sport-loving country which hosted high-profile competitions such as the 2nd European Games, European and world championships. By his personal example, the President shows how important exercising is for a person. Children need to see sporty and active parents, use them as role models to build their character. Our health depends on every one of us. It depends on our everyday habits, routine activities, discipline and will. The health of the nation depends on every one of us.
