In the arnes, there are irreducibles. Yahor Khavanski, 26, recognizes a little fear but will not drug the tradition on Sunday and will go to the stadium. He will take his mask, his scarf from FK Sloutsk and assist by trying not to touch anything the meeting between his team and Belshina Bobrousk, for the 6th day of the Blarusian championship.
The young man admits being among the last: The stadium can accommodate 2,000 people but, at the last match, there were around 300 spectators. They were free to settle wherever they wanted to keep their distance.
No question for him to give up, because there are as many chances of being contaminated in public transport or stores. In fact, despite the recommendations of the World Health Organization (WHO), a delegation of which recently visited the country, Blarus, under the impetus of its arrogant and authoritarian president Alexander Lukashenko, refuses to impose containment measures . The Belarusian Football Federation (BFF) has no intention of interrupting its competitions, claiming to trust the advice of the national authorities. This week, she even announced the resumption on April 30 of the women’s championship, postponed by two weeks after the quarantine of players in contact with patients of the Covid-19.
However, the country already has 9,750 cases of coronavirus for 9.5 million inhabitants, more than in the Ukrainian neighbor four times more populated and where confinement is the rule.
International exhibition
On paper, the pursuit of the championship is a boon: Blarussian football has never been followed so much abroad. In mid-March, the main Russian sports channel bought the rights, eleven other countries followed, including India and Israel. The clubs have created Twitter accounts in English.
The pandemic could even save FK Slutsk. Like all clubs in Blarus, its sole sponsor is a state enterprise: the local sugar factory. But the sugar industry is in decline, says club president Vitali Bounos. However, the factory director is in prison for a corruption case and without his sponsor, the club’s finances are catastrophic, he explains. For a month, half-amuss semi-serious, football fans around the world have taken a passion for the team and Australians have created a Facebook group and a prize pool. A surprising but welcome influx, smiles the president.
Sling supporters
However, despite this international appeal, the country’s stands are emptying: last weekend, only 2,383 spectators attended all eight matches of the 5th day. Dinamo Minsk – Neman Grodno, in the largest stadium in the country, was played in front of … 317 people.
The fault including a sling of supporters. At the end of March, fans in Grodno (west) denounced the lies about the epidemiological situation and called on the BFF to finally have the courage to stop the championship. In the crowd, the groups of supporters of the main clubs announced that they would no longer follow their team.
Several players, mainly foreigners, also said they wanted the matches to end. It’s a bit scary, how was last week on Instagram the former Ukrainian international Artem Milevsky after meeting Vitebsk, second home of coronavirus after the capital.
In the Brazilian press, Dinamo Minsk midfielder Danilo wonders: If the big championships stop, why not here? You have to follow the same path. Conversely, those who plan to take advantage of the moment: It’s a plus that has continued, made us public if we play well, explains the Franco-Armenian Ak Musahagian, middle of the Energetik-BGU. We have a young workforce and young people want to show off. It is a chance! There is no fear and we follow all the instructions.
(nxp / afp)
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