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Lukashenka issues warning over preparations for world hockey championship

Alyaksandr Lukashenka on Friday emphasized the importance of delivering a great world ice hockey championship in 2014.

Minsk will host the event next May.

In his annual address to the nation and the National Assembly, Mr. Lukashenka said that authorities should already be thinking about training personnel of hotels, restaurants and sports facilities ahead of the championship.

Mr. Lukashenka stressed that foreign hockey fans arriving in Belarus for the tournament should change their initial opinion of the country influenced by biased media reports, which would encourage more foreigners to travel to Belarus.

"This is what we are creating this entire infrastructure for. This is a test for the government and the Minsk City Executive Committee," he said.

Mr. Lukashenka said that the government's huge spending on sports failed to yield a serious return and referred to his recent decision to appoint a new sports minister and a new presidential aide in charge of sports.

He reiterated that public funding should be provided only to clubs and athletes that have good results.

Mr. Lukashenka ordered the government to launch a channel dedicated entirely to sports as soon as possible. "If the matter is approached correctly, it will be a massive tool for developing Belarusian sports, particularly game sports, attracting the attention of advertisers, sponsors, fans," he said, warning that other state channels should not cut their sports content.

Mr. Lukashenka stressed that coaches at children's sports training centers should improve their performance and warned against corruption. "And parents are ready to pay today, especially in game sports, and pay much. And they are paying. But where is the money? We will answer this question in the near future. But it will be very sad and painful if [we do so] through jailings," he said. //BelaPAN