Ice hockey: Belarusian citizenship for American Dynamo Minsk halfback
President Lukashenka signs a decree to grant Belarusian citizenship to a US international playing for Dynamo Minsk.
24-year-old Nick Bailen has become a Belarusian citizen. It became known on December 1 when Alyaksandr Lukashenka signed decree #557, Dynama press service reports.
Bailen had played in Finland before he joined the Belarusian club. Dynama chief manager Uladzimir Berazhkou offered him the Belarusian citizenship, he said. Bailen thought about it and agreed.
"It happened very quickly,” Nick Bailen said. “But it happens sometimes. I was offered an opportunity and decided to use it.”
American Kevin Laland and Canadian Geoff Platt received the Belarusian citizenship earlier. They played for Belarus national team at the Belarusian championship. It is not clear when Bailen will start playing for the national team.
Nick Bailen will turn 25 on December 12. See here for his biography.
Photo: hcdinamo.by
