Belarus' Sport and Tourism Minister Alexander Shamko commented on the incident with the Belarusian hockey players in France in an interview with the ministry's press service, BelTA has learned.
Mr Shamko, the Belarus national ice hockey team was subjected to a search at the Paris train station. Will you please comment on this incident?
First I got a call from Chairman of the Belarusian Ice Hockey Federation Igor Rachkovsky, and we discussed the situation and our next steps. There was clearly a biased attitude towards the Belarusian team.
We cannot attribute this incident to the increased security measures to combat terrorism. Everything indicates that the police acted deliberately.
Moreover, when members of the official delegation tried to figure out the reasons for the search, the police threatened them with handcuffs. Is the Belarusian ice hockey team a threat to the French capital? This is simply absurd. How do I see this incident? As a put-up job on behalf of the yet unknown people who are trying to influence, actively and brazenly, on representatives of Belarus.
Do you think that this incident is a continuation of the story with the Belarusian canoe and kayak team who went through a similar incident in France in the run-up to the Olympic Games 2016?
True, one can draw such analogies. Back then our team had to go through a lot. As you know, the team was banned from the Olympic Games. The International Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne did reverse the disqualification of the men's canoe and kayak team but France did us an irreparable damage.
Perhaps they were not happy with the CAS's verdict and continue looking for the slightest reasons to take on the Belarusians, like this bizarre and outrageous search.
What is Belarus going to do next?
We will not leave this unsettled. We already held consultations with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. We keep in contact with the ice hockey federation.
Our common goal is to protect the Belarusian team from negative impacts and negative emotions so that players and coaches are focused on the successful performance at the worlds. Now they just have to prove their spirit and strength
Some suggest we treat French athletes in the same way, but we will not stoop that low. We are better than that.
Belarus take on Finland in the first match of the IIHF World Championship in Paris on 5 May.