Minsk, 19th June 2014 the legendary Belarus handball coach Spartak Miranovich has been awarded the IOC “Sport – School of Life” prize, established by the International Olympic Committee on occasion of the 150th anniversary of Pierre de Coubertin’s birth.

The award ceremony took place on June 15, 2014 in Minsk during the qualifying IHF 2015 World Championship match between Belarus and Montenegro. NOC Vice-President Vladimir Konoplev and Secretary General George Katulin took part in the ceremony.

“It’s great honour for me to get the IOC Award,” commented Miranovich.

Honoured coach of the Soviet Union first and then the Republic of Belarus, Spartak Miranovich, 76, is a unique coach, who has spent all his life in pedagogical activities in sport. Among his athletes are eight Olympic champions and about eighty world champions in handball in different ages groups.

Spartak has been permanent chief coach of the men’s handball team SKA (Minsk) since 1976. Under his guidance the team won the European Cup three times and twice won the European Cup Winners Cup. In 2013 SKA won the European Handball Federation Challenge Cup.