Now official, Russian skier Kuklin leaves Team Belarus
Russian skier Mikhail Kuklin. Image: skisport.by
The former Team Belarus member, Russian skier Mikhail Kuklin whom Belarusian sports officials preferred for the 2018 Olympics over the local skiing legend Siarhei Dalidovich is confirmed to be leaving the Belarus national ski race team.
Belarusian Skiing Federation officially told Euroradio that Mikhail Kuklin decided to end his career for family reasons. The contract with Mikhail will be terminated on 19 December.
"Due to family reasons, unfortunately Mikhail Kuklin is forced to leave our national team and return to Russia. There is nothing extraordinary, there no demarch. This is his personal choice due personal circumstances. He is currently on leave at his own cost. Belarusian Skiing Federation waits for him to come back from his leave in order to finalize our relations. However, according to the preliminary information, he will not perform for Belarus," — Sport Ministry spokesperson Uladzimir Nestsiarovich told Euroradio.
Mr Nestsiarovich was not sure if Mikhail Kuklin had received Belarus citizenship but said he might have got a Belarus passport.
Just five days ago, Belarusian Skiing Federation chairman Andrei Kavalenka assured Euroradio that everything was in order and Mikhaik Kuklin was training together with the team.
To him, nothing seems to have chaned at all. Kavalenka says that even today Kuklin is together with the team:
"Mikhail Kuklin is even now with the national team. Your information is wrong. The fact that he is on leave at his own cost does not mean that he is not with the team. You may read the rest on our website."
It means that according to Belarusian Skiing Federation, Mikhail Kuklin is now with the team in Davos but yet on a leave at his own cost (!!!), and the contract with him will be terminated on 19 December.
Federation chairman Andrei Kavalenka declined to answer if Mikhail Kuklin had managed to receive Belarus citizenship.
As far back as in August 2017, the Federation chairman assured that the Russian just like other foreign skiers on the national team had received a Belarus passport. Now it turns out that two years and the money of Belarusian tax payers were wasted to train the athlete who could quit the team at any moment.
