Sports Ministry announces list of priority sports in Belarus for 2026. What about football?
On 4 December, a board meeting was held at the Belarusian Ministry of Sport and Tourism, at which the ministry finalised its support for priority sports in 2026. Following the meeting, a list of 27 sports was announced, which are set to receive priority attention at the state level next year. Did football make the cut?
This year, football, which attracts a significant following in Belarus, did not make the list of priority sports. To the disappointment of football fans, it is absent from next year’s list as well.
Incidentally, it also became known on the same day that Spanish specialist Carlos Alós Ferrer has left his post as head coach of the Belarusian national football team. He had been in the role for nearly two years. Under his leadership, the national team played 26 matches: 6 wins, 10 draws, and 10 defeats. The following is the list of priority sports for 2026, as announced by the ministry’s press service:
- Basketball
- Biathlon
- Boxing
- Freestyle wrestling
- Greco-Roman wrestling
- Cycling
- Volleyball
- Handball
- Artistic gymnastics
- Rhythmic gymnastics
- Rowing
- Canoeing
- Judo
- Speed skating
- Athletics
- Swimming
- Synchronised swimming
- Trampolining
- Modern pentathlon
- Para sports
- Shooting
- Taekwondo
- Tennis
- Weightlifting
- Freestyle skiing
- Field hockey
- Ice hockey
It is precisely these sports on the list that receive funding from the state budget and are granted comprehensive support from state bodies in organising competitions. In essence, the list remains unchanged from this year’s.
It is worth recalling that football was removed from the list of priority sports back in 2021. The authorities cited the «failure to meet established performance criteria over two full Olympic cycles» as the reason.
As previously reported by Telegraf.news in October, the Belarusian Council of Ministers determined the maximum, though not guaranteed, levels of state support that Belarusian sports federations and clubs can expect in 2026.
Футбол или хоккей? Совмин Беларуси определил, какой вид спорта получит больше госдотаций в 2026 году