Sherstnev elected Football Federation of Belarus president

The new president of the Football Federation of Belarus (ABFF) is Nikolai Sherstnev after the experienced politician and former weightlifter was voted in on a four-year term.

Sherstnev, 62, was elected unanimously after the withdrawal of the incumbent Vladimir Bazanov the day before the election.

The new man at the helm said: "Thank you for the trust, but there is no time for celebration. There is no time to rest. Everyone is tired of waiting for results. We need to act." Sherstnev most recently worked at the country's National Academy of Sciences as head of investment and was previously chairman of the Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee for seven years, a high-profile role in local politics.

A zoologist by training, Nikolai Sherstnev is a renowned name in the field of Belarusian sport having regularly participated in bench press and kettlebell lifting competitions. In 2017, he set a bench press record in Belarus and the following year set a new European mark for his age group in the discipline. He also helped Belarus win a team gold at the 2019 World Championship of mass kettleball lifting.