More than sport
The general assembly of Belarus’ National Olympic Committee has taken place in Minsk
What was the previous Olympic cycle like, and how did our sports sector cope with all the external challenges? This was discussed last week at the headquarters of Belarus’ National Olympic Committee in Minsk during the organisation’s general assembly, which was attended by hundreds of representatives from the country’s sports community.

The President of Belarus’ National Olympic Committee, Viktor Lukashenko, summarised the results of the past Olympic cycle from 2021 to 2024, admitting that it could not be described as easy. “Perhaps it was one of the most challenging in the history of Belarus’ sovereign sports. It was characterised not only by COVID-related restrictions, which are, fortunately, a matter of the past, but also by the restrictive political measures against Belarusian athletes in the international arena,” Viktor Lukashenko said. “Three years later, it can be stated that the hasty imposition of unjustified sanctions by the IOC in favour of the political ambitions of the West has played a cruel trick on it, causing more harm to the reputation and political independence of the IOC than good.”
The clear desire of the International Olympic Committee to restore the integrity of the major global competitions and return our athletes to the international stage is evident. Along with that, Viktor Lukashenko noted that not everyone agrees with this, “Some international federations have seized the opportunity to completely exclude our athletes from global sports and continue to play their unfair game. At the same time, a large part of the sports community understands the necessity of returning our athletes to the international arena and is in daily contact with our NOC, providing assistance in addressing the most pressing issue facing the sector today.”
Viktor Lukashenko emphasised that the National Olympic Committee is working closely with the International Olympic Committee and the heads of international federations to restore the rights of Belarusian athletes and enable their participation in international competitions in a full format, with the flag and anthem. However, initially, this will be in a neutral status.

General assembly of Belarus’ National Olympic Committee in Minsk
Reflecting on the conditions in which they had to work in recent years, the President of Belarus’ NOC expressed the view that the sports sector had successfully adapted in response to all external challenges. The NOC and Belarus’ Sports and Tourism Ministry have carried out extensive work with Russia’s Olympic Committee and Ministry of Sport so as to reorganise calendars and ensure the participation of Belarusian athletes in Russian championships and other tournaments, and vice versa. The NOC facilitated the participation of our delegations in the Olympic Games in Tokyo, Beijing, and Paris. Furthermore, Belarusian athletes competed in the European Youth Olympic Festival, Children of Asia and Children of Primorye international sports games. The NOC placed great emphasis on supporting sports federations and Olympic athletes, with a number of large-scale projects conducted in the country to promote the principles of Olympism and popularise physical education and sports. This includes the Vytoki festival, which has already toured the entire country, the Olympic Day held annually in Minsk, the National Athletes Forum, and many other events.
“Overall, I consider the work done to be satisfactory given the challenging international situation, and we enter the new Olympic cycle with cautious optimism,” concluded Viktor Lukashenko.
During the general assembly, members of the governing bodies were elected. The President of Belarus’ National Olympic Committee, Viktor Lukashenko, was re-elected as head of the organisation for a new term. Dmitry Dovgalenok retained the position of Vice-President. Alongside them, the NOC Executive Committee welcomed well-known figures such as Andrey Barbashinsky, Aliaksandr Bahdanovich, Olena Zubrilova, Iryna Malevanaya, Aliaksei Prakapovich, Siarhei Rutenka, Liubou Charkashyna, Natallia Tsylinskaya, and Alim Selimau.
Ksenia Sankovich, General Secretary of Belarus’ National Olympic Committee, commented on the new composition of the NOC Executive Committee, “These are representatives of the sports community, from both summer and winter sports, including individual and team sports. Among them are three Olympic champions, two Olympic medallists, and other renowned athletes who have already established themselves as effective sports leaders. Having analysed the new leadership team, I can say that this is a strong working group, well-versed in international issues and current realities: we will be able to address emerging questions very promptly. There is much work to be done. Plans have been set, and tasks outlined. As the NOC President said, with optimism and confidence, we will all move together towards new victories!”
By Tatiana Pastushenko