Belarus's  athletics team head coach arrested

Anatoly Baduyev has faced problems after publications in Pressball newspaper.

The KGB detained Anatoly Baduyev, the deputy chairman of the Belarusian Athletics Federation and national athletics team head coach, on Tuesday.

His office was searched. KGB spokesman Alyaksandr Antanovich neither confirmed nor denied the information: “No comments.”

The most possible reason for Budayev's detention is materials printed by Pressball newspaper, in particular the section “Killer” from the article “Olympic slide of national sport”. The article told about the so called “killer”, who extorted money from coaches and sportsmen by means of blackmailing and threats to solve problems with positive dope tests.

The paper supposes two charges were brought against Anatoly Baduyev – extortion and misspending sponsors' funds raised by Vladimir Potupchik, the Belarusian Athletics Federation public head and deputy chairman of the Council of the National Assembly of the Republic of Belarus.

According to the newspaper, a new head coach for the Belarusian athletics team, which is training ahead of the London Olympics,  is expected to be appointed today.