Sport

Although they still like more "active" sports like ice hockey and football, Belarusians are known for their love of board games like chess and checkers. One sport that they excel at, even in international contests like the Olympics, is ice hockey. It is one of the unique cultural characteristics in Belarus.

Belarus participated in the Olympic Games as a member of the Soviet Olympic team from the 1952 Helsinki Games until the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Belarus participated in the Olympics in 1992 in Barcelona as a member of the Unified Team. At the 1994 Lillehammer Games, Belarusian athletes took part in an Olympic competition for the first time.

BATE Borisov has participated in the Champions League, although the national football team has never been able to qualify for a significant competition. Ice hockey is the most popular sport in the country and receives significant government backing. The national hockey team often competes in the World Championships, frequently making the quarterfinals, and placed fourth at the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics after a spectacular upset victory over Sweden in the quarterfinals. In particular for Belarusian team HC Dinamo Minsk, there are many Belarusian players in the Kontinental Hockey League in Eurasia. A few have also participated in the National Hockey League in North America. Leading biathlete Darya Domracheva won three gold medals at the 2014 Winter Olympics, among other accolades.