Belarus among Strongest Nations

VIDEO REVIEW: Sport

In Belarus, the development of physical culture and sports stays among the priorities of state policy. Traditionally, Belarusian athletes achieve high results in the competitions of the highest level. New sports centres, accessible for every citizen are being constructed throughout the country. They meet the world standards.

With its population of about 10 million people, independent Belarus appears in Top-20 strongest countries among over 200 sports countries in the world, which participate in the world Olympic movement. 132 kinds of sports are taken and being developed in Belarus. Belarus is the only country in the world, which National Olympic Committee is led by the head of the state, Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko.

For the first time, Belarusian athletes participated at the Olympic Games in 1952, in Helsinki, as members of the USSR team. As a new independent state, Belarus participated at the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer; our team managed to win two silver medals.

At the XXIX Summer Olympics in Beijing, Belarus became the 16th in the national medal table for the quality of medals, and got the 13th place in accord to the total quantity of medals. Belarusian athletes won 4 gold, 5 silver and 10 bronze medals and set a number of personal and world records. The most successful were the performances in such disciplines as track and field athletics, weightlifting, and canoe racing.

Belarus has hosted numerous significant competitions of world and continental level so far, alongside: the European Track Cycling Championships, in 2009; the European Rhythmic Gymnastics Championships, in 2011; the European Weightlifting Championships, in 2012; the World Junior Figure Skating Championships, in 2012; World Cup rounds in rhythmic gymnastics and freestyle skiing. In 2014, Belarus is hosting the World Ice Hockey Championship.

Dynamo Minsk FC, founded in 1927, stays the most recognized football club in the history of Belarusian football. It won numerous titles and became the 1982 USSR champion, thrice bronze winner of the USSR Championships (in 1954, 1963, and 1983), USSR Cup finalist in 1965 and 1987, 1989 Football Cup finalist, quarterfinalist of the Champions Cup in 1983/84 season, quarterfinalist of the UEFA Cup in 1984/85 season, quarterfinalist of the Cup Winners' Cup in 1987/88 season.

The 10th part of all the Olympic gold medals, Belarusian athletes have won since 1956, has been awarded to the Belarusian handballers. Handball is the Belarus’ most awarded sports according to the number of the Olympic champions. Since 1975, the SKA Minsk team has gained a prominent success on pan-Soviet and international arenas, for ten years having been in the elite of the best European and world handball teams. The club has won six USSR champion titles, five silver medals of the USSR Championships, and has become thrice winner of the USSR Cup. At the same time they managed to win the Cup of the European Champions (three times), European Cup Winner’s Cup (twice), and once, in 1989, the European Super Cup.

68 Belarusian athletes have become the Olympic champions so far. They are: Andrei Aramnau (weightlifting), Elena Belova (fencing, foil), Svetlana Boginskaya (artistic gymnastics), Dmitry Dovgalyonok (canoe racing), Ellina Zvereva (track and field, discus throwing), Ekaterina Karsten (rowing), Olga Korbut (artistic gymnastics), Marina Lobatch (rhythmic gymnastics), Igor Makarov (judo), Alexandr Medved (freestyle wrestling), Yulia Nestsiarenka (athletics, 100 metres race), Aleksei Grishin (freestyle skiing), Valery Shary (weightlifting), Vitaly Scherbo (artistic gymnastics), Vyacheslav Yanovskiy (boxing).