MINSK, 4 December (BelTA) – Former handball player, Deputy Chairman of the Belarusian Handball Federation Andrei Barbashinsky has signed an open address of Belarusian athletes to the international and Belarusian public, BelTA learned from the press service of the Belarusian National Olympic Committee.
“As a citizen of the Republic of Belarus, an Olympic champion, I believe it is important to support our athletes today. The Olympic Charter clearly states: sport stays out of politics. This is not right to troll athletes, hamper them to do what they need to do. It is time for outstanding athletes who previously defended the colors of the national flag to support young sportsmen. Athletes should perform, achieve results first of all for themselves, the country and millions of fans so that all of us have someone to root for at international competitions,” said the native of Oshmyany.
BelTA has reported earlier that the open address had been signed by Olympic champions and medalists, famous athletes. Among them are Olympic champions Aliaksei Abalmasau, Aleksandr Maseikov (both canoe sprint), Nikolay Alekhin (fencing), Yanina Karolchyk-Pravalinskaya (athletics; shot put), Ekaterina Karsten (rowing), Sergei Bulygin (biathlon), Aleksandr Medved (freestyle wrestling), Valery Shariy (weightlifting), Andrei and Aliaksandr Bahdanovich (canoe sprint), Games medalists Anastasiya Prokopenko (modern pentathlon), Natallia Tsylinskaya (cycling), Liubov Charkashyna (rhythmic gymnastics), Maryna Litvinchuk (canoe sprint) and many others.
