Welcoming participants in the 2019 Match Europe v USA on Monday, President Alyaksandr Lukashenka came up with the idea of Minsk’s hosting the big sportive event again.
He voiced the proposal to Sebastian Coe, President of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) and Svein Arne Hansen, President of the European Athletic Association (European Athletics) on September, 9.
According to the Belarusian leader, although it is the United States’ turn to provide a venue for holding the next match, the USA will also host a world track and field athletics championship in 2021. AS the rules disallow combining the competitions, the 2021 Match Europe v USA will take place in ome European country, he stressed.
“If you place us in charge {of the event], it will be organized even at a higher level. I promise you that in two years Minsk will become the capital of the United States,” Alyaksandr Lukashenka said.
The words elicited thunderous applause from the fans on stadium stands, tut.by reports.
“Not to be suspected of bad things, as if we wanted to swallow America, I would like to specify: if you put the event in our hands, Minsk will become the capital of the United States for these days, because it is the US that was to host the match,” he added.
A wave of memes was a response to Lukashenka’s initiative. Belarusian webizens jokingly prognosed planting potatoes near the White House and Donald Trump’s asking the Pentagon to assess the threat.
Many also used the fact that US flags were waving in the centre of Minsk on the occasion of the sporting celebration.
On September 2, Belarusian president visited Minsk secondary school # 93. Talking with schoolchildren, the head of Belarus confessed that reputed US technology entrepreneur Elon Musk had presented him with a Tesla. However, when asked whether the presumed gift had really taken place, Musk briefly said on Twitter ‘Uh no’.
