MINSK, 1 July (BelTA) – Belarus will reap the benefits of the 2nd European Games legacy for many years to come, President of the European Olympic Committees Janez Kocijancic said during the closing ceremony of the games in Minsk, BelTA has learned.
“The games were a good investment for the country. They were consistent with sustainable development principles. You did not have to invest in the construction of a great number of facilities. The legacy of the games will have long-term benefits for Belarusian athletes, students and generations to come,” he said.
According to Janez Kocijancic, Belarus took advantage of this event to come into the spotlight. “All European countries and many other countries of the world watched the games and could see Belarus in a new, positive way,” he noted.
The closing ceremony of the 2nd European Games took place in Belarus' main sports venue – the Dinamo National Olympic Stadium.
The 2nd European Games took place in Minsk on 21-30 June. Over 4,000 athletes from 50 countries competed in 15 sports. The official motto of the 2nd European Games was Bright Year, Bright You. The logo was a fern flower that has a symbolic meaning in Slavic culture. Lesik the Fox was the official mascot.
Team Belarus demonstrated one of the best results in the history of participation in major sport events winning 69 medals, including 24 gold, 16 silver and 29 bronze medals.
Minsk was granted the right to host the 2nd European Games at the 45th meeting of the General Assembly of the European Olympic Committees in October 2016.
The 1st European Games took place in Azerbaijan's capital city Baku in June 2015. Belarus was represented by 151 athletes in 24 sports. They won 43 medals.
