MINSK, 8 October (BelTA) – Olympic champion, head of the NOC Athletes' Commission, forward of the amateur ice hockey team Varyag Aliaksandr Bahdanovich has been elected head of the Belarusian Ice Hockey Federation during the organization's report and election meeting on 8 October, BelTA learned from the press service of the federation.
Former head of the Belarusian Ice Hockey Federation Dmitry Baskov handed in resignation on 10 September and stepped down.
In March 2020 Aliaksandr Bahdanovich joined the central office of the Belarusian sport society Dinamo to help organize the sport reserves training process. His candidacy for the post of the head of the Belarusian Ice Hockey Federation was submitted by the Olympic Reserve School of the Belarusian sport society Dinamo.
Aliaksandr Bahdanovich is an outstanding Belarusian athlete who was born on 29 April 1982 in the urban settlement of Elizovo, Osipovichi District, Mogilev Oblast. He is a two-time Olympic medalist. He and his younger brother Andrei won the C2 1000m gold in Beijing in 2008 and silver in London in 2012. The Honored Master of Sport also won a number of medals at the most prestigious international competitions, including gold at the 2009 ICF World Canoe Sprint Championships, three European champion titles (two in 2007 and one in 2008), two silver medals (2001, 2010) and three bronze medals (2002, 2005, 2006) at the world championships, three silver medals (2006 and 2011 – two) and six bronze medals (2004 – two, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2012) at the European events. He also won the C2 1000m gold at the 2015 European Games in Baku.
After retiring, from 2016 to 2019 he served as MP of the House of Representatives of the National Assembly of the sixth convocation representing Osipovichi District, Mogilev Oblast, and was member of the Standing Commission on National Security.
In April 2017 Aliaksandr Bahdanovich was appointed head of the Belarusian University Sport Association.
In May 2021 he was elected Chairman of the Athletes' Commission of the National Olympic Committee. His deputy is one of the best Belarusian ice hockey players, current coach of HC Dinamo Minsk Mikhail Grabovski.
Aliaksandr Bahdanovich graduated from the Belarusian State University of Physical Education in 2008, the Belarusian State Economic University in 2012 and the Academy of Public Administration under the aegis of the President of the Republic of Belarus in 2019.
Aliaksandr Bahdanovich is Honorary Citizen of the City of Bobruisk and Osipovichi District. He has been awarded the Order of Honor and the Letter of Commendation of the National Assembly.
Aliaksandr Bahdanovich plays in the Minsk amateur ice hockey championship. In the previous season he performed as forward with the second league team Varyag.
Photo courtesy of Belarus' NOC
