KALYAN KUMAR MAHATA The true appellation of Apu.

Nanjing 2014 News

IOC President makes first official visit to Nanjing ahead of the Youth Olympic Games in 2014

©NYOGOC - IOC President Thomas Bach meets with young staff at the headquarters of the Nanjing 2014 Youth Olympic Games.

18/11/2013

Newly elected IOC President Thomas Bach made his first official visit to Nanjing, China, to check on the progress made by the Nanjing 2014 Youth Olympic Games Organising Committee (NYOGOC) and to offer encouragement  as it enters the final few months of preparations.

After meeting Luo Zhijun, Secretary of CPC Jiangsu Provincial Committee, Li Xueyong, Governor of Jiangsu Province and Yang Shu’an, Vice Minister of the General Administration of Sport in China, the president visited the organising committee’s headquarters, where he was introduced to young staff members who conducted a tour of the facility and surrounding riverside park with him.

Joined by an IOC delegation including Coordination Commission Chairman Alexander Popov, the President was given a full progress report by Yang Weize, NYOGOC Executive President who outlined the final preparations and milestones to complete over the next eight months as the Organising Committee enters its games-time readiness phase.

The IOC President was also offered a venue tour of the Nanjing Olympic Sports Centre, venue of the Opening Ceremony, and the newly constructed Youth Olympic Village where he was given an overview of the athletes’ rooms, the environmentally friendly construction elements and legacy aspects of the village.

President Bach said, ‘Nanjing is a vibrant city and will be play a fantastic host next summer to the 3,800 athletes from around the world. The Organising Committee has a passionate young team dedicated to deliver a spectacular Youth Olympic Games in 2014.’

On visiting the Youth Olympic Village the President reminisced that the Village 'brought back memories' of his time as an athlete.
.

 ©NYOGOC - IOC President Thomas Bach tours Nanjing 2014’s Youth Olympic Village during his official visit to the city.

KALYAN KUMAR MAHATA The true appellation of Apu.

Olympic Torch Relay set to continue journey by train

©Sochi 2014

 

18/11/2013

INTERNATIONAL OLYMPIC COMMITTEE

www.olympic.org

 

The Sochi 2014 Olympic Torch Relay has completed the air travel segment of its journey across Russia and will now continue its way around the country by train, as the 123-day relay enters its seventh week.

Between now and the Opening Ceremony of the 2014 Olympic Winter Games on 7 February 2014, the Olympic flame will travel a record 17,400 kilometres by rail in a specially designed train, decorated in the official orange patchwork quilt brand of the Sochi 2014 Olympic Torch Relay.
On its journey it will cross the borders of 53 Russian regions and will be carried by approximately 10,000 Torchbearers in 76 cities of the Far Eastern, Siberian, Volga, Southern and North Caucasian Federal Districts.
"Today, the longest segment of our record-breaking Olympic Torch Relay begins,” said Sochi 2014 President Dmitry Chernyshenko. “The flame will travel from the far east of Russia to the Olympic host city, passing through the territories of 53 Russian regions. The route is formed in such a way that the principal symbol of the Games can be seen not only by the inhabitants of large cities, but also those in the most remote settlements. Bringing a piece of the Olympic celebration to every home is the main objective of the national Torch Relay."
After beginning in Moscow on 7 October, the Olympic Torch Relay covered 9,534km during its first 22 days, travelling by road between 37 cities in the Central and North-Western Federal District of Russia before reaching Saint Petersburg. Once there, the air segment of the relay began, with the Olympic flame being carried along the streets of 20 cities in the Northwest, Ural, Siberian and Far Eastern Federal Districts of Russia, while covering the huge distances between each city in a Sochi 2014-branded plane.
So far, more than 4,000 Torchbearers have carried the flame, which has illuminated many iconic Russian landmarks, including Rurikovo Gorodishche, Yasnaya Polyana estate, Kizhi State Open-Air Museum, historic suburbs of St. Petersburg, and churches and temples of the Golden Ring of Russia. The Olympic flame has also visited the largest diamond mine in the world and the top of the Avacha volcano.
Find out more about the Sochi 2014 Olympic Torch Relay Presenting Partners at http://torchrelay.sochi2014.com/en/Partners
More information on the Sochi 2014 Olympic Torch Relay can be found at http://torchrelay.sochi2014.com/en/

KALYAN KUMAR MAHATA The true appellation of Apu.

IOC President meets with Chinese President Xi Jinping

©Xinhua/Ding Lin

 

19/11/2013

INTERNATIONAL OLYMPIC COMMITTEE

www.olympic.org

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach has met with the President of the People's Republic of China, Xi Jinping, in Beijing.

Meeting at the Great Hall of the People, the two presidents discussed a range of issues, including sport's positive role in society, the upcoming Youth Olympic Games in Nanjing, and Beijing’s bid for the 2022 Olympic Winter Games.
President Xi also talked of the recently concluded meeting of the Central Committee Plenum where sport was integrated into the strategic plan agreed for the future development of China. President Bach congratulated him on his plans for 'putting sport at the service of society.'
President Bach was accompanied by IOC Vice-President John Coates, IOC Member and Coordination Commission Chairman for the Nanjing 2014 Summer Youth Olympic Games Alexander Popov, and the President of the Chinese Olympic Committee, Liu Peng. The three Chinese members of the IOC: Yu Zaiqing, Yang Yang, and Li Lingwei were also present.
Beijing is one of six cities vying to host the 2022 Olympic Winter Games, having submitted its application to the IOC by the 14 November deadline along with Almaty (Kazakhstan), Krakow (Poland), Lviv (Ukraine), Oslo (Norway), and Stockholm (Sweden).*
On Monday, President Bach inspected some of the venues to be used at the 2nd Summer Youth Olympic Games in Nanjing next year. On Wednesday he will visit Tokyo, home of the 2020 Olympic Games, before flying to Seoul on Thursday to meet with organisers of the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic Winter Games.
* The cities will be listed in alphabetical order until such time as the official drawing of lots is carried out by the IOC EB in December 2013. The order of drawing of lots will then be used until the election of the 2022 host city.

KALYAN KUMAR MAHATA The true appellation of Apu.

 INTERNATIONAL OLYMPIC COMMITTEE
PRESS RELEASE
Friday 15 November 2013
www.olympic.org

IOC prepares Tokyo for life as Games organiser with first visit to 2020 Host City

©Photo Kishimoto

15/11/2013

A delegation from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) today concluded a successful Orientation Seminar (14-15 November) with representatives of Tokyo 2020, including the Japanese Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Hakubun Shimomura, who is also responsible for the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games for the National Government; Tokyo Governor Naoki Inose; and Japanese Olympic Committee President and IOC member Tsunekazu Takeda.

The two-day meeting, which comes a week ahead of IOC President Bach’s and Coordination Commission Chairman John Coates’ first visits to Tokyo, and two months after their election as host of the 2020 Olympic Games, will help the Japanese organisers to successfully negotiate the crucial transition phase, as well as allowing them to get a flying start, as they prepare to deliver the Games over the next seven years.

Led by the IOC’s Executive Director for the Olympic Games, Gilbert Felli, the delegation, which was joined by International Paralympic Committee (IPC) CEO Xavier Gonzalez, shared with the local organisers and their partners advice on managing the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games; the key milestones that occur during the lifecycle of an Organising Committee; and the key factors to be looked at during the transition period. In addition, they laid out the framework of partnership that will guide preparations for the next seven years, and outlined some best practices from previous Games.

Speaking after the seminar, Felli said: “We are excited to be here, so soon after Tokyo was awarded the right to host the 2020 Games, and to see the early progress made by the local organisers. Organising the Olympic Games is a complex undertaking, which requires great teamwork and a strong partnership from those involved, so we were pleased with the high level of commitment from all the seminar’s participants. This orientation seminar has enabled us to lay the foundation for the future and to build upon the transfer of knowledge that Tokyo has already benefited from during the bid process.”

As an indication of the strong cooperation in place between the many stakeholders in Japan and of the country’s commitment to the Games, the participants at the seminar included all levels of government, and business and sports leaders. There was also an update on a number of steps already taken by the Tokyo organisers, which include appointing the Minister in charge of the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games; establishing an office for the promotion of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games; and creating a number of committees and groups at different levels of Government to support Games preparations and implementation. The next stage for the organisers will be to finalise the formation of the Organising Committee.

Takeda, Tokyo’s Bid Committee Chairman who led the Tokyo 2020 delegation at the seminar, said: “The seminar covered a wide range of topics and was immensely helpful in enabling us to deepen our understanding of exactly what role will be expected of the Organising Committee and the specific tasks it will be required to undertake.

“The seminar was attended by some 200 participants and, judging by the questions raised during the seminar and the initial feedback I have already received, I am sure that we all learned a great deal about the complexities and challenges of organising an event as enormous and prestigious as the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

“I would like to extend my sincere thanks to Mr Gilbert Felli and his fellow members of the IOC delegation for their meticulous planning of the seminar, and for pointing out the various potential pitfalls. Our discussions with the IOC team were extremely productive, and we are looking forward with renewed motivation, determination and enthusiasm to working closely with the IOC and all concerned members of the Olympic family, to ensure that Tokyo delivers Games that will take their place in the long and distinguished history of the Olympic Movement.”

Despite bidding farewell to the IOC delegation, Tokyo 2020 is already preparing for another IOC visit: that of IOC President Bach and the Chairman of the IOC Coordination Commission for the Tokyo 2020 Games, John Coates, on Wednesday 20 November 2013. It will be President Bach’s first official visit to the Japanese capital, where he is expected to convene with representatives of Tokyo 2020 and the local government.

###

NOTES TO EDITORS:
The IOC’s transfer of knowledge programme plays a key part in allowing Organising Committees to build top-quality Games on the basis of past experience. As part of this programme, the IOC runs an orientation seminar shortly after the election of each host city. The aim of the seminar is to help the newly elected city make the transition from bidding for the Games to being a Games organiser. It explains in detail the preparation phases and the operations that will need to be finalised over the next seven years, while building upon the transfer of knowledge that the cities receive from the IOC during the bid stages. The seminar also helps the organisers to decide where they should focus their efforts during the start-up phase, and is an opportunity for the IOC to share its Games management philosophy with them. This enables everyone to understand what is expected of them and ensures that the collaboration is as efficient as possible right from the outset.

In addition to the orientation seminar, the IOC’s Olympic Games Knowledge Management programme consists of a knowledge base, accessible via an extranet, comprising key reports, plans and information on every area of Olympic Games management; observers’ and secondees’ programmes during the Games; a debrief following each edition of the Games; and access to specially tailored courses for Organising Committees with the participation of Games experts.

###

Rising interest in Olympic Winter Games as six cities bid to host 2022 Games

KALYAN KUMAR MAHATA The true appellation of Apu.
                                       

INTERNATIONAL OLYMPIC COMMITTEE
PRESS RELEASE
Friday 15 November 2013
www.olympic.org

There has been a significant increase in the number of cities bidding to host the Olympic Winter Games – with twice as many joining the contest for 2022 compared to four years earlier.

Six cities have bid this time, all meeting the application deadline of midnight on 14 November. Listed in alphabetical order, the cities are: Almaty (Kazakhstan), Beijing (China), Krakow (Poland), Lviv (Ukraine), Oslo (Norway), and Stockholm (Sweden).

The strength of the field, which includes a strong mix of both traditional and developing winter sports markets, highlights the keen interest cities around the world have in the Games and the lasting benefits and legacy they can bring to a region.

“I am delighted that six cities are bidding to host the 2022 Olympic Winter Games,” said International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach. “These cities and their supporters clearly understand the benefits that hosting the Games can have and the long lasting legacy that a Games can bring to a region. Indeed, while recent Games have left an array of sporting, social, economic and other legacies for the local population, many cities that did not go on to win the right to host the Games have also noted benefits as a result of their bids.”

As part of the assistance the IOC offers bid cities, the six Applicant Cities will be invited to attend a seminar in Lausanne from 4 to 6 December 2013 and to participate in an Observer Programme tailored to their needs during the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games.   

National Olympic Committees had until midnight on 14 November 2013 to submit an application to the IOC that complied with prerequisite criteria (declarations concerning the World Anti-Doping Agency and the Court of Arbitration for Sport) established by the IOC Executive Board in 2010. Having fulfilled these requirements, the six Applicant Cities now enter Phase 1 of a two-step technical analysis that culminates in the election of the 2022 host city by the IOC Session in Kuala Lumpur on 31 July 2015. 

At the end of Phase 1, and following a first assessment by an expert IOC Working Group, the IOC Executive Board will select the cities that will move forward to Phase 2 of the process as Candidate Cities.

Following the submission of their Candidature File – an in-depth blueprint of their Olympic project – an Evaluation Commission appointed by the IOC will visit each Candidate City to prepare a technical risk assessment to assist IOC members in electing the host city. This report will be made available to IOC members prior to a two-day briefing that provides the members with the opportunity to question the cities directly about their Olympic projects.    

In line with the IOC’s commitment to transparency, all documents pertaining to the 2022 bid process are available to the public on www.olympic.org. 

A summary of the key 2022 timelines can be found below:
Phase 1:

• Deadline for NOCs to submit an Applicant City – 14 November 2013
• Applicant City Seminar – Lausanne – 4-6 December 2013
• Sochi Olympic Winter Games Observer Programme – 7-23 February 2014
• Submission of the Application File - 14 March 2014
• Selection of Candidate Cities by the IOC - Executive Board – 8-9 July 2014

Phase 2:

• Submission of the Candidature File & Guarantees – January 2015
• IOC Evaluation Commission visits – February – March 2015
• Evaluation Commission report / Candidate City Briefing for IOC Members – May - June 2015
• Election of the 2022 Host City by the IOC Session - Kuala Lumpur – 31 July 2015

* The cities will be listed in alphabetical order until such time as the official drawing of lots is carried out by the IOC EB in December 2013. The order of drawing of lots will then be used until the election of the 2022 host city.

###

IOC President calls for smarter, more targeted testing and better research at WADA Conference in Johannesburg

KALYAN KUMAR MAHATA The true appellation of Apu.

©WADA

13/11/2013

International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach today called for the common fight against doping to be stepped up and strengthened to protect the “majority of athletes who are clean”.

Speaking at the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA)’s 2013 World Conference on Doping in Sport in Johannesburg, South Africa, the President told delegates that the ultimate goal was the protection of clean athletes:

“What we need is the greatest possible deterrence. All of us gathered here in Johannesburg are united in our zero-tolerance attitude to doping. The IOC will continue to pursue this fight with great determination and clear measures.”

President Bach called for even greater cooperation with all partners, including government authorities and anti-doping organisations, at national and regional levels.

“We need a better exchange of information between state authorities, the sports movement and the national anti-doping organisations,” he said. “We expect governments to create better conditions for cooperation with sport, especially in terms of exchange of information.”

And he called for state authorities to do more to severely punish those behind doping, including the dealers, agents, coaches, doctors and scientists involved.

Backing a change in the WADA Code that would see the sanction for serious violations changed from two to four years, the President said that an improved Code was not enough in itself.

“Even a much-improved Code is not enough by itself”, he said. “As in sport, what counts is the result on the field. We need even more sophisticated targeted tests, more individual profiling and more scientific research.”

And he urged further research in the hunt for new ways to catch the cheats:

“We should be focusing on anti-doping research. And also in this area, we should be open to new ways of thinking. Is it not time to find out, for example, whether blood and urine tests are really the best and ultimate solution? Might there be other testing methods, which are even more reliable, more sustainable, more effective, and maybe even less intrusive?” he asked the Conference.

The President also promised that the testing programme for Sochi 2014 would be the most stringent in the history of the Olympic Winter Games, and would feature targeted testing both before and during the competition period, using information from sport and anti-doping agencies worldwide.

“With a record number of samples and pre-competition tests, we shall be smarter and tougher in our fight against doping than at any previous Olympic Winter Games. We shall perform these tests anywhere in the world – as a more effective, more flexible, better deterrent. We shall improve our anti-doping system with regard to both quality and quantity,” he said.

“In order to achieve this, the IOC has increased the number of pre-competition tests from 804 for Vancouver to 1,269 for Sochi. That is an increase of 57 per cent. In all, we will perform 2,453 tests, compared with 2,149 in Vancouver. That is an increase of 14 per cent – with a special focus on team sports,” he added.

Read the President’s full speech here.

Taking place from 12 to 15 November, the 2013 World Conference on Doping in Sport is the fourth of its kind, with the leading stakeholders in the worldwide anti-doping community in attendance. The WADA Foundation Board is scheduled to vote on changes to the WADA Code on 15 November. The Board will also elect a new President to replace John Fahey, whose term of office concludes at the end of 2013. President Bach reaffirmed the IOC’s commitment to “broadening and strengthening” its “intensive cooperation” with the new leadership.

###

IOC Athlete Career Programme scores a victory with outreach sessions

KALYAN KUMAR MAHATA The true appellation of Apu.

IOC

INTERNATIONAL OLYMPIC COMMITTEE
TUESDAY, 12 NOVEMBER 2013
PRESS RELEASE
www.olympic.org
                                            

Calling the outreach sessions offered by the IOC Athlete Career Programme (ACP) this week in Africa a resounding success, IOC Athletes’ Commission Chair Claudia Bokel today said plans are already underway to expand the programme to reach even more athletes in countries that do not currently have ACPs.

“The workshops were well-attended by a very enthusiastic group of athletes in each city,” said Bokel, a silver medallist in fencing at the Athens 2004 Olympic Games and Chair of the IOC ACP Steering Committee. “I think all of us – the instructors, trainees and athletes – learned a great deal during the sessions, and we can now use the feedback to improve the programme going forward. It was an excellent start and bodes well for the future of the outreach sessions.”

Learn to earn  The sessions, held between 2 and 9 November in six southern African countries*, were designed to provide athletes there with a range of job skills that can be applied during and after their sports careers. This included instruction on how to identify their passions and tips on how to pursue them after their sports careers; recognising the many transferrable skills they gain during their sports careers; advice on how to build support networks; and training on such things as CV creation and job-interview techniques.

The ACP delegation also included four-time Olympic silver medallist Frank Fredericks and Adecco Group Senior Vice President for the IOC ACP, Patrick Glennon. Adecco Group, one of the world’s leading providers of human resources solutions, is co-partner of the ACP.

IOC Athletes’ Commission members Kirsty Coventry and Amadou Dia Ba and former Olympians Sandrine Thiebauld and Kadidiatou Kanouté attended the session as trainees, with the aim of learning how to conduct their own workshops in the future. This new ‘train the trainers’ method will allow the IOC ACP Outreach Programme to expand in frequency and geographic coverage.

Striking a balance   “Each time an elite athlete steps onto the field of play they are prepared to deliver their best as a result of their dedication and preparation,” said Fredericks. “At the same time, we recognise that elite athletes will retire from sport at an early age and most will need to engage in a career after sport. To achieve success after sport requires the same preparation and commitment. Education is a key area that athletes must focus on at some level while competing. Pursuing an education while competing can add balance to an athlete’s life and with a personal balance can prepare an athlete for life after sport while enhancing their life during elite competition.”

Turnout to the sessions was excellent, with over 80 participants taking part in the workshop in Botswana, 60 in Namibia, and 50 each in Lesotho and Swaziland. The sessions were assisted by members of the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa (ANOCA) Athletes’ Commission, and country managers from the Adecco Group. Adecco worked with the IOC to establish the ACP in 2005 and since then the programme has provided career development and job placement services to more than 10,000 Olympic athletes from over 100 countries. The programme is based on providing athletes with three key tools: education, life skills and employment.

If you are interested in learning more about these programmes or wish to get involved, please contact us at: athletes@olympic.org

*Mazenod, Lesotho; Windhoek, Namibia; Cape Town and Johannesburg, South Africa; Manzini, Swaziland; Gabarone, Botswana; and Lusaka, Zambia. The workshop in Lusaka took place in the Olympic Youth Development Centre, which opened in 2010.