Sport and healthy lifestyles

"The health of the nation is not only the responsibility of doctors, but also the responsibility of every one of us."

"Sport is our ideology. Hoisting the National Flag and playing the National Anthem in honor of our athletes strengthen the authority of Belarus on the international arena, and, which is the main thing, foster a sense of pride for the Homeland in the hearts of millions of Belarusians."

"The health of any nation is a guarantee of its sustainable development and prosperity. In this context, the development of a universally accessible and efficient healthcare system is a top priority of the state policy."

"The health of the nation is not only the responsibility of doctors, but also the responsibility of every one of us. Without physical activity and sport, there will be no healthy children, no healthy people, no healthy nation at all. This topic has always been a priority for the state. But first of all, it is us who should be an example of healthy living and who should find time for sports in our busy schedules."

"I have a special request for parents. If you truly love your kids, introduce them to swimming when they are young, introduce them to skating, football, workouts. Just spend more time outdoors! They need to go in for sports. This is one of the major factors of education and a guarantee that they will not get into bad company, will not grow frail and weak, that they will become strong people and decent citizens of our country. Exactly for this purpose, we invest huge amounts of money in the all-round construction of various sports facilities and make them accessible for people of all ages."

"Let’s take an ice hockey or football competition. Today it is not even a battle, but a war. Because sport has become politics."

"We will support sport, but results are the main thing. Those who win gold, silver, bronze medals are welcome to ask for anything they need."

"I want children in Belarus to know how to hold a hockey stick, how to skate, and even how to mountain ski."

"You need to keep a big slab of salo [cured pork fat] in the fridge during the World Cup, and eat it with Belarusian rye bread instead of doughnuts and ice cream after a race or a hard training session. Proper nutrition is a number one task for athletes. Salo is the best Belarusian doping."

"I urge the head of the Belarus President Administration, and she urges all people, especially schoolchildren, to go skiing. Is it normal when you give them skis, tell them that skiing is a good thing, and after that you still have to drag them to ski tracks? What about parents? They must do all that for their children and take care of their health. That’s a fact."