Albers replaces Valery Polkhovsky, who quit the position in September, after his candidature for the role was approved by the Sport and Tourism Ministry.

He will be tasked with leading the Belarusian team at the first International Biathlon Union (IBU) World Cup competition of the 2016-2017 campaign, due to take place in Östersund in Sweden from November 27 to December 4.

Albers was originally deputy chairman of the Biathlon Federation of Belarus (BFB) before his appointment as the official responsible for international and domestic competitions in May of this year.

He will have to do without arguably the leading name in Belarusian biathlon - Darya Domracheva - for the first few months of the season as she has recently had a baby.

The 30-year-old, winner of three Olympic gold medals at Sochi 2014, gave birth earlier this month and has also married fellow biathlete Ole Einar Bjørndalen of Norway.

Domracheva was thought to potentially be in line for a place on the International Olympic Committee Athletes’ Commission after Bjørndalen, one of the world’s greatest-ever biathletes having claimed eight Olympic gold medals.

The Norwegian announced his resignation in April after admitting he was unable to participate due to his decision to carry on competing up to Pyeongchang 2018.

The BFB will be hoping Albers can improve the fortunes of the Belarusian team after they failed to claim a medal at this year’s World Championships in Oslo.