NOC Belarus President: The Olympic Games should unite people

Dear athletes, coaches, sports industry workers, veterans of the Olympic Movement, fans! Dear friends!

I cordially congratulate you on the International Olympic Day, which is celebrated annually around the world on 23 June, the day when the modern Olympic Movement was revived.

The history of the Olympic Movement of our country is an example of high professionalism and creative work to develop mass and elite sports, to maintain and preserve the Olympic ideals and values.

The Olympic Games should bring people together! The mission of the Olympics is to promote peace in the world! This is especially important today when sport is facing discrimination and bias, when sporting ideals and principles are politicized, which contradicts the very philosophy of the Olympic Movement that is based on respect, justice and openness. Let me remind you that the founder of the modern Olympic Games, Pierre de Coubertin, believed that sport would become a model of ethical dispute resolution, and that Olympism would win hearts because people needed friendship and brotherhood.

This approach has made the Olympic Movement very popular. It has grown and united countries and peoples, especially during the Olympic Games, each of which leaves its mark in history, unites and inspires millions of people around the world.

The ideals of the Olympic Movement, namely respect for other cultures and promotion of peace and stability in the world, resonate with our country’s traditions and with the priorities and principles that Belarus upholds on the international stage. We stay committed to the Olympic Charter, which explicitly declares political neutrality, and to the principle that says “sport and politics should not mix”.

Dear friends! With your firsthand experience and real deeds, you serve as an excellent example of responsibility and dedication to the younger generation, actively promote sport and its creative positive values. We are proud that the great international Olympic family has many outstanding athletes from Belarus. Our athletes are the legacy of the nation, a reliable pillar of our country.

I thank all Belarusian Olympians for their skills, tenacity and will to win, for the emotions of joy and pride that you evoke in millions of fans. Stay assured that we will always stand up for your interests and the interests of our entire Olympic Movement in the international arena. Remember that the NOC doors are always open to you!

Every athlete aspires to be a champion! May all obstacles stay clear of your way and may your achievements be impressive and inspiring!

Olympics is a feast of spirit and will to win, a feast of life! I wish you strong health, happiness, good luck, prosperity, great victories and Olympic triumph!

Let’s stay together with the team! With TEAM BY!

Happy International Olympic Day!

The presindet of NOC Belarus Victor Lukashenko