Many remain unhappy about the legitimacy of the election.

In August, over one hundred prominent personalities in the Belarus sporting world had signed an open letter calling for the poll to be annulled.

"We categorically condemn numerous facts of falsification of the election results of the President of the Republic of Belarus, and also the manifestation of gross violence by the security forces against the peaceful protesting citizens," said the letter.

It was a significant gesture in a year when many sportsmen and women have spoken out about political and social issues around the world.

It comes little more than a year after Minsk hosted the European Games.

The Torch Relay was described as the Flame of Peace and in his welcoming speech Lukashenko spoke of "Genuine Belarus, a beautiful, hospitable, and cosy country. You will see that tolerance and relations built on mutual trust and respect is how Belarusians live."

Belarus was also to have co-hosted next year’s World Ice Hockey Championships with Latvia but even the President of the sport’s international federation Rene Fasel admitted last week that "it has been distressing to see what has been happening in Belarus."

Fasel described the Latvian calls for another co-host to be chosen as "understandable."

Forty years ago, in the days of the Soviet Union, Minsk had been a football venue when Moscow staged the Olympics. Many felt the Soviet Government used them to project a more positive image.

The Soviet human rights record had come under scrutiny but they launched a massive propaganda offensive, with lavish publications in full colour including a regular magazine called Olympic Panorama. 

Moscow was described as a "bubbling centre of world, cultural, political, social, scientific and cosmic ideas."

Ultimately the boycott came about, not because of human rights but because of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.

Many will recall the Berlin Olympics were overshadowed by the swastika as Nazis exploited them for propaganda. It is often forgotten that the International Olympic Committee had made their choice of 1936 host city before Hitler came to power.

Much earlier, the Italian dictator Benito Mussolini, known as "Il Duce", had realised the power of sport as a political weapon.

In 1927 Bologna hosted the European Swimming Championships and Fascist student organisations played an important part in early international collegiate sport.

In 1933, the World University Games were held in Turin. A forerunner of the present day Universiade, they had unmistakable political overtones.

 The centrepiece was the newly built "Stadio Mussolini." The newsreels described "a thunderous reception" for the teams, partly because many raised their arms in a Fascist salute.

 Mussolini’s Party secretary Achille Starace opened the Games.

"To you, I offer the expression of sincere camaraderie of the black shirts of all Italy. They are truly happy that you are participating in our competition."

Starace brought greetings from Mussolini and ended his speech by calling for a salute to the "Duce."

The biggest prize came when Italy was chosen to host football’s 1934 World Cup.

The decision was taken by the FIFA executive at their 1932 meeting in Stockholm. 

There were even rumours that money had changed hands to outmanoeuvre a rival bid from Sweden.

The Italians claimed they were "capable of sustaining burdens even in the case of an adverse balance, using the numerous and flourishing Italian cities, all provided with magnificent stadiums."

A huge budget was made available and a huge bust of Mussolini welcomed visitors to Organising Committee offices.

He made a great show of buying a ticket for one of the matches, before taking his place in the tribune of honour.

No expense was spared in promoting the competition but posters depicted footballers giving the Fascist salute and even the medals given to the winners bore the Fasces, the symbol of the regime.

Italian Football Federation President Giorgio Vaccaro said that "cordial hospitality, discipline, and organisation," had helped make the event a success.

In the official report of the tournament he insisted: "All this emanates from a single source of inspiration. Il Duce."

In the same publication Organising Committee President Giovanni Mauro wrote of "stadiums quivering with the people under the blue sky of Italy saw spectacles of high sports such as to recall the brightest days of athleticism in Greece and Rome."

Except that for many matches, there were swathes of empty terraces.

Italy’s matches were well attended as they progressed through the tournament.

All roads really did lead to Rome for the final and Italy came from behind to beat Czechoslovakia 2-1 after extra time. It delivered the propaganda victory the Fascist Government had craved.

Mussolini was also enthusiastic about a Roman Olympic bid.

He authorised construction of a huge sporting complex which today is known as the Foro Italico but was then given the name "Foro Mussolini." Mosaics with Fascist imagery and a giant obelisk bearing his name were built on the site. They remain in place to this day.

The complex was and is supremely impressive, but it did not stage the Olympics during Mussolini’s lifetime.

This was because Tokyo also had designs on the 1940 Games.

Perhaps for the only time in his life, Mussolini was praised for “generous understanding” in withdrawing the candidature in favour of Tokyo.

IOC members Jigoro Kano and Count Soyeshima, who successfully made the case for Tokyo in 1940, were both men of peace.

Soon though, the Organising Committee included Isoroku Yamamoto, responsible for the attack on Pearl Harbor and the notorious General Hideki Tojo, later executed as a war criminal.

War in China forced the Japanese to abandon their Olympic aspirations in 1938.

This also meant that Sapporo had to hand back the winter Games.

The IOC eventually re-assigned them to the same resort which had staged them in 1936, Garmisch-Partenkirchen in Nazi Germany. By this time, the true nature of the regime had been realised, although these Games did not take place either because of war.

FIFA confirmed Argentina as hosts for the 1978 World Cup shortly after a military coup in Buenos Aires. Political instability continued over the next few years and in 1976, two years before the tournament was to open, there was yet another coup.

World Cup organising chief Omar Actis was assassinated on his way to a media conference. This was blamed on "extremist groups" and gave the junta an excuse to be ever more repressive.

Many in Europe had called for a boycott because of the human rights record of the Argentinian Government, but on the first day of June 1978, all 16 teams were present and correct at their training camps around Argentina.

At the Opening Ceremony, held in the Monumental Stadium in Buenos Aires, President Jorge Videla wore civilian clothing and made a speech of welcome.

"This event is really a contribution towards strengthening peace, for the whole world and for all the peoples of the world. Peace is wanted by everyone."

There was a display by 1700 young people "to demonstrate the fraternity and the spiritual health of Argentina’s future."

To the satisfaction of the junta, Argentina beat the Dutch 3-1 after extra time to win the World Cup. President Videla presented the trophy to Argentinian captain Daniel Passarella sparking celebrations throughout the country.

Later, the world learned that political prisoners had been tortured within earshot of the River Stadium and much later, leaders of the regime were indicted for crimes against human rights.

Many baulked when Seoul was chosen to stage the 1988 Olympics. At the time South Korea was a military dictatorship, though many, including then IOC President Juan Antonio Samaranch believed that the Games had contributed to the eventual introduction of democratic Government in the country.

The choice of Beijing to host the 2022 Winter Olympic Games will bring human rights into focus just as it did when the city was chosen for the 2008 Summer Games.

Protests dogged the Torch Relay in Paris, London, San Francisco and Canberra.

Shortly before the Beijing 2008 Games began, IOC President Jacques Rogge was moved to warn against podium protests.

There has been animated debate over Rule 50 of the Olympic Charter in the last year.

This is the clause which forbids political demonstrations within the Olympic precincts and crucially on the medal podium. 

Campaigns such as the Black Lives Matter protest have brought the issue to the forefront but many believe the Olympic world is already thinking ahead to the prospect of further protests in Beijing.