Belarusian president trashes 'spineless' national hockey team
Alexander Lukashenko is less than pleased.
The President of Belarus came away unimpressed by the performance of his nation's hockey team at the recent World Championship, criticizing the "absolutely spineless" squad after it failed to qualify for the playoff round.
Belarus finished 13th out of 16 teams - one spot ahead of Slovenia in Group B - which was just enough to avoid relegation from next year's tournament.
"Even if you lose, then play with soul and the people will forgive you," Lukashenko told The Canadian Press. "But when you go out there you've lost the game before it even begins and your legs are shaking."
The players weren't the only ones to take barbs from Lukashenko, who also lamented the "disgusting" work of the team's coaching staff. If the president had his way, he'd link performance to pay, and salary would follow success.
"Everyone's driving around in a Mercedes," Lukashenko added, "but there are no results."
Lukashenko, who came into power in 1994, witnessed his country's best finish on the international stage in 2002, when Belarus lost the bronze-medal game at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, Utah.
However, the nation will not have a shot at redemption at the 2018 Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea, after falling to Slovenia in the Olympic qualifier.
Twelve Belarusians have competed in the NHL, the most notable among them being New York Islanders forward Mikhail Grabovski.