The heroes of the Olympics are the pride and heritage of the Belarusian people - A. Lukashenko

February 25, Minsk /BELTA/. The heroes of the Olympics are the pride and asset of the Belarusian people. This was stated by President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko at the ceremony honouring the heroes of the XXII Winter Olympic Games in Sochi, as reported by a BELTA correspondent.

The President emphasized that the winners and prize-winners of the XXII Winter Olympic Games have brought worldwide fame to our country. "Millions of people, millions of compatriots, followed their performances with bated breath. These were unforgettable moments of patriotic uplift and national unity. The heroes of the Olympics are the pride and asset of any nation, including ours," said the President.

"The medals, five of which are gold, are an outstanding sporting achievement. Sovereign Belarus has never known anything like it in its history," the head of state stressed. In the medal standings, our country took an honourable place among the top ten countries, ahead of many traditional favourites. "And this made the whole world talk about Belarus, making a huge contribution to strengthening its authority and prestige as a sporting nation, a sporting power," said Alexander Lukashenko.

The President noted that Belarus had been working towards this success for many years, focusing on sport as one of the priorities of social development, and as a vital source of physical and moral health for the nation. -0-