Polina Golovina has been appointed as the new secretary general of the National Olympic Committee of the Republic of Belarus ©NOC RB

Polina Golovina has been appointed as the new secretary general of the National Olympic Committee of the Republic of Belarus (NOC RB), it has been announced.

She replaces George Katulin, who had held the post since 2017.

Golovina's appointment was proposed by Belarus' President Aleksandr Lukashenko, who is also head of the NOC RB.

It was approved unanimously by the NOC RB Executive Board, chaired by Viktor Lukashenko, the oldest son of Aleksandr.

Polina Golovina replaces George Katulin, who had held the position since 2017 and was also chief executive of last year's successful European Games in Minsk ©Minsk 2019
Polina Golovina replaces George Katulin, who had held the position since 2017 and was also chief executive of last year's successful European Games in Minsk ©Minsk 2019

Viktor Lukashenko claimed that Katulin, who was also chief executive of last year's successful European Games staged in Minsk, will continue to assist the NOC RB.

Golovina graduated from Minsk State Linguistic University as a specialist in the linguistic support in intercultural communication and public relations in 2012. 

She is fluent in English and German and has worked as the secretary general of the Belarus Sailing Federation since 2016.

"I will make every effort to keep our Olympic Movement in sync with modern trends," Golovina said.