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Aliaksandr Putsila: Bureaucrats in Sports Are Short-Minded and Unsportsmanlike

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Aliaksandr Putsila: Bureaucrats in Sports Are Short-Minded and Unsportsmanlike

Belarusian Olympians should ignore instructions.

Former commentator of the Belarusian Television and Radio Company (BTRC) and now author of sportopicks on the Belsat TV channel Aliaksandr Putsila told in the interview to charter97.org.

- What do you think about performance of Belarusian athletes, who have already participated in the Olympic Games?

- Cyclist Alena Amelyusik and rifleman Illya Chehreika faced major disappointment. Both athletes psyched up to win at least a bronze medal, but Alena faced to challenges: she took the 13th position in the mass-start, and in individual time trial only the 11th. This is far from the podium. She was extremely disappointed. Illya Chehreika who has been the World Cup winner this year made up his mind to be among winners, but he failed as well. Although the sixth position in 10 metre air rifle can be considered a good result.

I was impressed by our national basketball team on August 9. Speaking frankly, although the Brazilians host the Games, their basketball team is outsiders and now is dead last and has miserable chances to make the quarterfinals. That is, if you are not ahead of the Brazilians, then what of it? And even this match was very difficult and nerve-wracking for our team and fans.

As for Uladzimir Samsonau, the advance to the semi-finals is a some kind of feat. Uladzimir mentioned later that he should have it already done 20 years ago in Atlanta. Then it is getting harder to break for a 40-year-old table tennis player. He will face top list opponents, but he may win at least the bronze.

Maxim Mirnyi paired with Alexander Bury could do better, but got satisfied only with participation in the Games. In general, we can't say that there were failures - we had hoped for more and it did not come true. The best is yet to come.

For the first time neither the Sports Ministry nor the National Olympic Committee, nor the head of the NOC did not assign a mission to get a certain number of medals. It is clear - the more the better, but with the all-time small Belarusian delegation it is impossible to expect 19 medals or even less like it was in Beijing. I believe that our maximum is ten medals. Even this result is welcomed. That was my prediction before the start of the Games.

There are enough problems in our national team. For example, our basketball team does not have the second coach. They had no opportunity to provide Anatol Buyalsky with an assistant. Many teams miss psychologist. There is only one psychologist for an entire national team. It is not enough. Other teams have even their kitchen, massage therapists, with delegations. What kind of delegation can bring a poor Belarus? All time the Olympic delegation is being cut. They invested little (bureaucrats say about great investments), but amid the world sports it is just a penny. We have a very weak delegation. There is no need to wait for a miracle.

- You have mentioned that the leadership did not assign a mission to get a certain number of medals, but there was a meeting with the Belarusian Olympic team, where the Minister of Sports and Tourism Aliaksandr Shamko and first vice-president of the NOC Maxim Ryzhenkou set specific targets.

- Because it's getting really tough. At least one medal we missed in the same cycling and shooting. But still, even a week of the Olympics is not over, and they are so worried. Perhaps, they had a call from Minsk.

You know, I do not believe both Shamko and Ryzhenkou. These people are unsportsmanlike. First of all, they are honeying up to the president. They are a way far from sports; they do not understand how hard sportsmen work. They keep one thing in a mind: "We have done our best to ensure you to show the result, and you fail." And then the pressure on athletes begins. Although, in fact, we have had no opportunity to win these medals. Officials and functionaries need to understand this, not to put pressure on the team with "come on-come on." I do not agree with them, do not trust them. They have never been involved in elite sport and never dreamed to be a sportsman. I'd like to shy away from this topic. I'm more interested in the attitude of the athletes.

For example, I did not like that before the Olympics, our basketball player Alena Leuchanka and Katsyaryna Snytsina happily and joyfully took photos and uploaded them to social networks: "We are in Rio! We are happy!" and so on. Then the defeat: incomprehensible losing game with Japan and France. It seems to me, luck is the thing that loves those who are focused, who is psyched up to fight. Our basketball players were so happy before the Games that I was nervous. Well, look: two defeats in the beginning that prejudiced chances of the quarter-finals. Well, there are some, but if we take the 4th position and face the USA, then the game is over.

All the days are not alike. Ivan Tsikhon used to say when coming home from previous Olympics that much things depend on your mood in the morning.

The mentality of the Belarusians, to say nothing of those who travel a lot, is as follows: "I will not succeed", "I guess, it will not happen". It gives a retarding effect on the way to Olympic medals, as well as on other championships. We just need to ignore instructions of bureaucrats and live your life.

- There was a prayer service for the Belarusian Olympians in Rio.

- I do not understand why it is held right now. I saw pictures on website of the Ministry of Sports and the NOC. You see, these things are pretty personal, it is not necessary to show off.

According to photos, few sportsmen were present there. It is the parish of the Russian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate in Rio de Janeiro. It is clear that the service was held in Russian. There was nothing home-oriented. They just stand with candles in front of the flag... What is the sense? It was not necessary to demonstrate it.

- Vasil Kiryenka was honoured to carry the national flag. Was it resentful to you amid his current statements about "dead Belarusian language"?

- Maxim Ryzhenkou said in an interview Pressball that Leuchanka, Herasimenya and Mirnyi had been offered to carry the flag, but they refused. And finally it was offered to Vasil Kiryenka. He agreed. He said that the next day would be not very important. These things are quite incomprehensible to me. Ryzhenkou even said that we were going to the Games, where the sport was out of politics. How can one compare the Belarusian language and politics? With this statement he once again showed his weakness of brain-power.

This person serves Lukashenka, and informs him. And if there are any problems at the Olympics, I am sure that he will not take the responsibility. Yes, he comes to a competition, supports, but how can help, if he is beyond sports? He will simply serve with a report that they have done everything possible, but athletes had no intention to win and failed.

- Yes, the reaction of Lukashenka on failures is always tough.

- He will surely pour dirt on sportsmen. But we should not wait for his reaction. The reaction of sportsmen is the thing that counts. Someone will recognize his failure, others can say they did their best, but there was no luck. And I'm not interested at all about Lukashenka's opinion. He has repeatedly insulted our football and hockey players... Everything's simple to him: we have everything done, and you are so-and-so. Therefore, I do not interested in his reaction at all.

I'd like to wish our athletes, especially Belarusians, such as Alina Talay, Aliaksandr Herasimenya luck, for them to bring fame to our Belarus, even with this red-green flag. I am convinced that this week we will win a medal.

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