President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko has ceased to be the chairman of the National Olympic Committee (NOC), which he has been since May 1997. BelTA informs about it in its Telegram channel.
His eldest son Viktor Lukashenko replaced him in this post.
Since April 2019, he served as First Vice President of the NOC of Belarus, and in November of the same year he was elected to this post by the Olympic Assembly.
Earlier on February 26, Lukashenka, at a meeting of the National Olympic Committee, threatened to assemble a combat-ready sports force for a landing in Tokyo, where the XXXII Summer Olympic Games will be held in July-August. He noted that the vast majority of athletes are real patriots who donate their talent, strength and energy without reserve for victories in the name of Belarus.
In December 2020, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) temporarily banned Lukashenka from participating in all events held under its auspices. According to IOC President Thomas Bach, the current leadership of the National Olympic Committee of Belarus, headed by the President, does not protect athletes from political discrimination.