Belarusian Federation of Underwater Sport

The Public Association "Belarusian Federation of Underwater Sport" (BFPS) was founded on April 5, 1992, and officially registered by the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Belarus on May 11, 1992. BFPS is the national governing organization responsible for the promotion, development, and regulation of underwater sports and diving throughout the country. Since 1998, BFPS has been a full member of the World Underwater Federation (CMAS) with voting rights, actively participating in two major committees: Sport and Technical.

Our Goals and Objectives

• Development and popularization of underwater sports disciplines within the Republic of Belarus.
• Creating favorable conditions for amateur and professional underwater sports enthusiasts to unlock their athletic and creative potential.
• Engaging children and youth in underwater sports to improve health, build physical fitness, and promote a healthy lifestyle.

History and Heritage

The history of underwater sports in Belarus spans more than 50 years. It all began in 1959, when Albert K. Igovin, a 1st class diving specialist, established the first underwater section at the Minsk Maritime School of DOSAAF. Remarkably, this coincided with the historic inaugural conference in Monaco, where the World Underwater Federation (CMAS) was founded under its first elected president, Jacques-Yves Cousteau.

In 1960, the BSSR national team made its debut at the USSR Underwater Sports Championship in Alushta. At that time, competitions were held exclusively in open waters and included three main disciplines: 50-meter apnea diving, 500-meter straight-line scuba swimming, and scuba swimming with course alterations. The same year marked the first BSSR Championship in Underwater Spear-fishing on Lake Naroch, kicking off a series of regular republican competitions held until 1972.

Significant changes occurred in 1970 when disciplines diversified: underwater orienteering and spear-fishing remained in open waters, while finswimming and speed disciplines moved to swimming pools. Belarusian athletes trained at the 7 SKA sports club under renowned coaches Valery P. Popov and Igor S. Gusev. Global success soon followed. In 1974, Vera Zborshchik won silver and bronze medals at the European Championship in Potsdam, later becoming a two-time World Champion in underwater orienteering. In 1975, Irina Buraya captured 4 gold medals at the European Championship in France.

The pinnacle of success came at the 1976 World Championship in Hannover, where Belarusian athletes representing the USSR team achieved extraordinary results: Irina Buraya claimed 4 gold medals, Lyuba Govorova became a World Champion, and Tatyana Nazarova secured both gold and silver. Irina Buraya continued her spectacular streak at the 1977 European Championship in Hungary and the 1978 World Championship in Italy, winning a gold, four silver, and a bronze medal.

During these golden years, the elite athletic roster of Belarus included Masters of Sports and International Masters of Sports: Irina Buraya, Lyubov Govorova, Vera Zborshchik, Tatyana Nazarova, Nikolay Nikitin, Pavel Lukashevich, Oleg Nekrasov, and Viktor Shevkov (two-time 1980 World Champion in Italy in the 400m and 800m scuba disciplines). Concurrently, underwater orienteering thrived under the exceptional leadership of coaches Arkady Khamrotor and Valery Nesterovich.

In 1976, the Republican Sport and Technical Club of DOSAAF BSSR for Water Sports was established to boost water-technical sports and train national teams. Its first director was Igor S. Gusev, one of the founding fathers of Belarusian underwater sports. With six Belarusian athletes regularly selected for the Soviet national team, the sport reached its historical peak, backed by regular regional and republican championships.

Modern Context and Key Disciplines

Today, building on its rich historical foundation, BFPS integrates classic training traditions with modern international standards, supervising multiple core areas:

• Finswimming: A high-speed discipline with a strong legacy of international records.
• Freediving (Apnea): A rapidly growing discipline focused on pool training and depth workshops.
• Sport Diving: Technical pool obstacle courses combining speed and diving proficiency.
• Underwater Photography and Video: Merging high-level diving control with visual arts in open water.