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World sports is corrupt to core, Lukashenka says

World sports is corrupt to the core, Alyaksandr Lukashenka said on Thursday while commenting on some controversial decisions by officials at the ongoing London Olympics that left Belarusian athletes outside the podium, BelaPAN said.

"These officials who make decisions take money and declare the winner those who have given them more," the presidential press office quoted Mr. Lukashenka as saying.

The Belarusian leader, who was denied entry to the UK for the Olympics, bemoaned frequent rule changes in sports and attacked officials of the International Olympic Committee for ignoring officiating scandals. "Why don't they interfere? They walk around with their fingers splayed across, make money on that, destroying athletes and humiliating countries that come there," he said.

Mr. Lukashenka referred to sports officials to bar Belarusian hammer thrower Ivan Tsikhan from the Olympics just days before the competition.

"Sports today is not politics but dirt and corruption in all areas where possible. I cannot even speak in public about all facts that I know. But I think I will still have an opportunity, if not in England then in some other country, to tell these officials what I have just told you," he was quoted as saying.

Mr. Lukashenka also criticized the performance of the Belarusian team at the Olympics, noting that the country had lost its leading position in rowing, weightlifting and artistic gymnastics.