President of the National Olympic Committee

Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko has been paying great attention to the development of sports in the country since the first days of his presidency. This fully applies to elite sports and promotion of a healthy lifestyle. Sporting successes on the international arena, the health of the nation are under constant control of the Belarusian leader. “There are no other countries in the world when the Head of State has also been elected head of the National Olympic Committee. I was inspired by the desire to preserve all the best things that have been accumulated in sport during the time of the country’s participation in the international Olympic movement,” the Head of State said explaining why he thinks sport is so important for the country.

After the election of Aleksandr Lukashenko to the post of President of the National Olympic Committee in 1997, the sport life of the country gained a new impetus. Measures were introduced to improve the sport infrastructure, reconstruct stadiums and sport centers, create conditions for mass sports, children's and youth sports, as well as elite sports.

The Charter of the National Olympic Committee:

Powers of the President of the National Olympic Committee.

The President of the NOC heads the NOC Executive Committee, performs general management of the NOC activities and fulfills the following duties:

• represents the NOC in relations with government bodies and organizations, public associations and other organizations, including international ones;
• ensures the compliance of the NOC activities with the present Charter and the Olympic Charter;
• presides over the Olympic meeting, hosts meetings of the NOC Executive Committee;
• is a tie breaker in considering issues at Olympic meetings, meetings of the NOC Executive Committee;
• distributes responsibilities among the members of the NOC Executive Committee;
• takes any other actions to achieve the Charter goals and fulfill tasks of the National Olympic Committee except for those, which are identified by the Charter as exclusive domain of the Olympic Assembly and the Executive Committee of the National Olympic Committee.

The President of the National Olympic Committee of Belarus regularly meets with executives and representatives of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the European Olympic Committees (EOC), and the Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC), international sport organizations. The NOC HQ offers a venue for working meetings to discuss summer and winter sports, for sessions of the Executive Committee and the Olympic Assembly of the National Olympic Committee under the leadership of Aleksandr Lukashenko. Solemn ceremonies to see off and congratulate Belarusian Olympians, winners and awardees of world and European championships, Olympic Games with the participation of the President of the National Olympic Committee have already become traditional.

The Republic of Belarus regularly hosts major sports events. Not only Minsk but also other cities of the country are entrusted with hosting world and European championships, most important matches and games. In the past years Belarus hosted the 2^nd European Games; the ISU European Figure Skating Championships, the European Muaythai Championships, the Women’s EuroHockey Indoor Championship, the European Rhythmic Gymnastics Championships, the ISU European Speed Skating Championships, the IBU Open European Championships, the European Rowing Under 23 Championships; the World Rowing Junior Championships; the Match Europe v USA; the FIBA Under-17 Women's Basketball World Cup, the 2nd CIS Games.

Aleksandr Lukashenko is also a huge sport fan. He works out at least a couple of hours every day.