Topic of the week: Belarus prepares for the II European Games
Consolidate the Nation
President of Belarus, President of the National Olympic Committee Alexander Lukashenko stated at the expanded meeting of the NOC Executive Committee that hosting the European Games will consolidate the nation. "The European Games are an important event that should give a powerful ideological impetus to our society," emphasized the Belarusian leader.
Alexander Grigoryevich recalled that Belarus received the honorable right to host this sports event in 2019 almost a year ago. This was a proposal from the international sports community, which highly appreciated the country's merits in sports development, as well as the hosting of competitions and other international events in the republic, including the 2014 World Hockey Championship, which was recognized as the best in the tournament's history. "For many years, modern infrastructure has been created in Belarus, and not only sports infrastructure. Guests from all over the world gladly visit us. The existing atmosphere of stability, tolerance, and, most importantly, security in our country is of great importance," noted the head of state.
Security Issues
Alexander Lukashenko separately focused on security issues: as the international situation shows, this is one of the key problems today. "We must not allow a shadow of doubt about the reliability of Belarus. The most important thing here is not to rest on our laurels," the President said. "We have enough ill-wishers who will try to dissuade us in this regard. And God forbid we allow anything similar to what is happening in Western Europe... The main thing at the games is sports competitions and a festive atmosphere for our citizens and especially guests. They should return home with favorable impressions of the country, of the capital."
The Head of State emphasized that how Belarus hosts the European Games, what sports results it shows, how it presents itself to Europe, will shape the opinion of the country and our people for decades to come. Therefore, there are no trifles, and there can be no trifles, in organizing this largest sports forum of the Old World. From the meeting at the border, service in hotels, catering organization to the appearance of the cities of the republic - everything must be at the highest level.
Beautifully and Heartfelt
"We must bring the nation, the country, the state to the highest level of development, and the games should push towards this. Everything must be done for the people. No pomp. It must be done beautifully," the Belarusian leader noted.
- We will not surpass the opening of the Olympics in Sochi and similar events in Baku. And we don't need to. Because hundreds of millions of dollars were spent there just on the opening and closing ceremonies. I don't want to say that we don't have such money. If it were beneficial, we would find it. But this is not necessary. We need to beat this record with sincerity, with the openness of the people."
Speaking about the need to bring the main facilities into order for the Games and carry out landscaping work, the Head of State noted that relatively little needs to be done in this regard – we maintain the country, and Minsk in particular, in order. Alexander Lukashenko emphasized that all the material base created for the Games will remain in Belarus for decades. "We will not need to do anything for 10-20 years. All this will remain for training our athletes and national teams," added the Belarusian leader.
Contests Announced
In July this year, the logo of the II European Games was presented in Minsk. The idea behind its creation was the slogan "Go with the Dream". Our national legend tells about a dream – about a beautiful fern flower that blooms on the summer night of Ivan Kupala. And whoever manages to find it will have all their wishes come true. Thus, athletes from all over Europe will gather in Minsk in June 2019, chasing their dream to win a valuable award. The official motto of the II European Games will be the phrase "Bright Year, Bright You". In abbreviated form, it will be designated as BY. There will also be a Russian version of the slogan – "Время ярких побед" and a Belarusian one – "Час яскравых перамог".
An active campaign is underway in Belarus to develop a mascot for the upcoming European Games, and anyone can participate in the contest. It is necessary to propose an idea for the mascot, its image, and its name. The mascot must comply with the Olympic values and the tournament slogan. A contest has also been announced for the creation of songs for the opening and closing ceremonies of the European Games 2019, which should be profound in content and modern in expressiveness. Details on how to participate in the contests can be found on the websites of the Ministries of Information and Culture.
Seize the Opportunity
The Head of State noted that life does not end with the 2019 European Games, and many major international sports events are ahead, including the 2021 World Hockey Championship. "The Games are an opportunity not only to energize the country and the national economy, but also to make qualitative progress in technologies, education, and the competencies of our specialists. Everything we do, everything we learn, will be useful to us and, most importantly, to our children," Alexander Lukashenko summarized.
Opinions
Acting President of the European Olympic Committees (EOC) Janez Kocijančič: "I must say, we made an excellent choice. Not only because Belarus performed excellently in Baku in 2015, where it won more than 40 medals, but your country also has good infrastructure, which EOC members have already had the opportunity to see more than once. In addition, Belarusians have strong sports traditions, and in Minsk, they know how to organize major events. In 2014, the World Hockey Championship was held here, and you passed this exam with flying colors."
Vyacheslav Durnov, First Deputy Minister of Sport and Tourism:
"Belarus always holds international sports competitions at a high level and receives high praise from foreign guests, which positively affects the country's image."
Based on materials from BelTA.