Text а Sports in the Republic of Belarus

I

Belarusian people have practiced physical training for centuries in games, swimming, wrestling, riding and hunting. Such physical activities had a military or semi-military character because there were hundreds of wars on Belarusian soil during the past centuries¹.

For the first time physical training was included in the curriculum of military training due to the reforms of Peter the Great ². Soon it began to appear in civilian grammar schools ³ and the first books on this subject were written. This led to the organization of civilian sports clubs at the end of the 19-th century. But several dozens of sports clubs couldn't solve the problem of physical education.

After the revolution the importance of physical training continued to grow. Military and physical training became compulsory for all men aged between 16 and 40. In 1931 with the introduction of GTO (Ready for Labor and Defense) ⁴ millions of young people began to test their abilities in swimming, skiing, elementary gymnastics.

Belarusian sports gained fresh impetus after the Great Patriotic War. Our athletes began to appear in international competitions.

II

There is a centralized system of management⁵ of physical education and sport in Belarus. Practically all organized regular athletic activities in Belarus are associated with ⁶ the Ministry for Sports and Tourism, regional and district sport committees and national sport federations.

Physical training is a compulsory subject on the curriculum of education in kindergartens, primary, secondary, technical and higher schools. The system of training top-class athletes consists of three types of schools: specialized sports schools for children and youth, colleges of Olympic reserves, and top class sports proficiency schools.⁷ The major centers of training highly qualified specialists in sports and physical education are the Belarusian State Academy of Physical Culture and the departments of physical education at regional universities.

Over 70 sports are cultivated in Belarus. The most popular are football, ice-hockey, basketball, handball, gymnastics, track-and field athletics, weight-lifting, boxing, wrestling and other sports.

Belarusian athletes have at their disposal a lot of stadiums, gyms, indoor and outdoor swimming pools, football fields, tennis courts and outdoor sports grounds. Such sports facilities as the Sports Palace, the Track-and-Field Athletic Palace, the Republican Equestrian Sports School "Ratomka" and the Olympic Complexes "Staiki and "Raubichi" near Minsk have won recognition of both Belarusian and foreign athletes ⁸.

It is quite natural that large-scale participation of Belarusians in sports activities has resulted in excellent achievements in the international sports arena. But recognition didn't come easy. At the 1952 Helsinki Olympics among the Soviet first-timers⁹ 7 men represented Belarus. Mikhail Krivonosov, Timofei Lunyov, Mikhail Saltykov, Anatoli Yulin (track-and-Mikhailov (rowing). Their results were modest but the world learned about Belarusian athletes.

At present the performance of Belarusian athletes in the international arena testifies that Belarus is rich in sports talent. The Republic is proud of such sports stars as Mikhail Krivonosov (the first bronze Olympic medalist), Alexander Medved (three-tune Olympic champion, Vitaly Scherbo (six-time Olympic champion), Ivan Ivankov (European and World champion), Yekaterina Khodotovich (Olympic champion) and many others.

At the XXYI Summer Olympics Belarusian athletes performed as a national team for the first time. Their debut became a new victorious page¹⁰ in the sports history of the young Belarusian state.

Notes:

¹ there were hundreds of wars on Belarusian soil during the past centuries -по земле Беларуси прошли сотни войн за минувшие века

² due to the reforms of Peter the Great-благодаря реформам Петра Первого

³ in civilian grammar schools - гражданские школы

⁴ with the introduction of the GTO (Ready for Labors and Defense) - с введением комплекса ГТО (Готов к труду и обороне)

⁵ there is a centralized system of management - существует централизованная система управления...

are associated with - ассоциируются с ...

⁷ top class sports proficiency schools-школы высшего спортивного мастерства

⁸ of both Belarusian and foreign athletes -как белорусских ,так и зарубежных спортсменов

⁹ among the Soviet first-timers... - среди первых советских спортсменов...

¹⁰ became a new victorious page - стал новой победной страницей...

Ex. 6. Replace the following Russian words and word combinations by their English equivalents from the text:

гражданский спортивный клуб, военная подготовка, обязательный предмет, заниматься физической культурой, учебная программа, централизованная система управления, физическое воспитание и спорт, Министерство спорта и туризма, училище олимпийского резерва, международная арена, республиканская спортивная школа, начальная(средняя, высшая) школа, преподаватель физического воспитания, принимать участие в соревнованиях, трехкратный олимпийский чемпион, чемпион Европы, Мира, страны, закрытый (открытый) плавательный бассейн.

Ex. 7. Fill in the gaps with the words from the word-box below.

1. Swimming, wrestling, riding and hunting had a .... character in Belarus during the centuries.

2. Civilian sports clubs were .... at the end of the 19^th century in Belarus.

3. The Belarusian State Academy of Physical Culture.....highly

qualified coaches in separate sports, teachers of physical education and sports managers.

4. Several dozens of sports clubs couldn't ... the problem of physical education.

5. Over 70 sports are .... in the Republic.

6. Physical training is a .... subject on the curriculum of education in secondary schools.

7. The system of training top class athletes ... three types of schools.

8. Participating in international competitions Belarusian athletes ... top results.

9. Our athletes have.........a lot of fine sports facilities.

at their disposal, founded, gained, consists of, compulsory, cultivated, military, solve, trains

Ex. 8. Complete the following statements. Choose one of the alternatives:

1. Physical activities in Belarus had	civilian character military character sport character
2. Regular athletic activities in Belarus are associated with	the Ministry for Sports and Tourism the National Olympic Committee the Government
3. All types of sports schools are financed by	industrial enterprises the state sponsors

4. The centre of training highly qualified sports specialists is	the Polytechnic Academy the Academy of Fine Arts the Academy of Physical Education and Sports
5. For the first time Belarusian athletes participated as a national team in	the XXYI Summer Olympics the XX Summer Olympics the X Winter Olympics
6. The performance of Belarusian athletes in the international arena testifies that	sports are not developed in Belarus Belarus is rich in sports talent there are no sports facilities in Belarus

Ex. 9. Ask questions about the missing information and answer them. Work