MINSK, 10 January (BelTA) - A unique book, a treasure trove of information about Olympism, has been published in Belarus, Chairwoman of the Belarusian Olympic Academy Natalya Aponchuk told a press conference in Minsk, BelTA has learned.
"This is our first experience of putting together such a large, serious book about sport, the Olympic movement. It was an initiative of the Belarusian Olympic Academy. The book is based on the materials of the online School of Young Olympian project," Natalya Aponchuk said.
“The School of Young Olympian. The book about sport for children” is part of the Belarusian Children's Encyclopedia series published with the support of the Belarus publishing house. It covers the history of the Olympic movement, summer and winter Olympic Games, various sports, Olympic sports heritage, and the achievements of Belarusian athletes. Additionally, it includes the motivational stories of famous Belarusian athletes.
Natalya Aponchuk told how the idea of the online School of Young Olympian project came about. According to her, teachers used to inquire about the sources of theoretical knowledge as they were preparing students for the Olympiad in the subject "Physical Education and Health". The Belarusian Olympic Academy joined the project by the Education Ministry and thus was able to accumulate the information about these matters on the Academy's website. Later came an idea to publish a book.
"We decided that it was worth gathering all the information in one source. What we got is a desk book for anyone interested in sport and healthy lifestyle," Ekaterina Garusova, a leading specialist at the Belarusian Olympic Academy, went on to say. “Everyone knows what the Olympic Games are, but few people know how they came about, what the idea behind them is. The most common mistake is to equate the Olympics and the Olympic Games. In fact, they are two different concepts.”
Ekaterina Garusova pointed out that the book is not only about sport, the basic concepts of Olympism and the Olympic Games. According to her, "this is a real treasure trove of information about Olympism".
Natalya Aponchuk added that the book is intended for middle and high school students but it will be useful for any adult reader, not necessarily a sportsman or a fan.
Viktoria Filipkova, director of the Belarus publishing house, believes that many people will want to buy the book. Sales will start next week and the book will be available in online shops. This year the publishing house will launch its own series of books on sports, she added.
