IOC meets with Government of Egypt and Egyptian Olympic Committee

KALYAN KUMAR MAHATA The true appellation of Apu.

26/11/2013

INTERNATIONAL OLYMPIC COMMITTEE

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The IOC held a productive meeting today in Lausanne involving senior representatives of the Egyptian Sports Ministry, the Egyptian Olympic Committee, the Association of Summer Olympic International Federations (ASOIF), the Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC) and the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa (ANOCA).

The main purpose of this meeting was to review the current situation of the Olympic Movement in Egypt vis-à-vis the sports legislation, and find a common understanding as to how the sports organisations belonging to the Olympic Movement in Egypt can be in a position to comply with both the basic principles of the Olympic Movement (including the principle of autonomy) and the law of the land.
The meeting was extremely positive and greatly contributed to reaching a mutual understanding and trust between the Government authorities and the Olympic Movement. The meeting concluded with the following points of agreement:

• The sports law currently in force in Egypt (since 1975) needs to be updated and revised to make it fully compatible with the basic standards of the Olympic Movement. As part of this revision process, the global situation of the sports clubs in Egypt will have to be reviewed and clarified. To this effect, the Sports Ministry has already launched a consultation phase involving the main constituents of the Olympic Movement in Egypt (including in particular the Egyptian Olympic Committee and the national sports federations). In view of the transition period which Egypt is experiencing, a reasonable timeframe was established as follows:
  
  o The new draft sports legislation should be completed within six months; and
  
  o The whole process, including the formal adoption of the new sports legislation by the competent authorities in the country, should be completed within one year from now.
  
• In the meantime, the Government will not interfere in any manner whatsoever with the internal operations of the national sports federations and the sports clubs, and the current sports regulations/”standard statutes” issued by the Sports Ministry will not be implemented. In particular, this will give  all national sports federations the possibility to establish their own statutes, get them adopted by their respective general assemblies and endorsed by the corresponding International Federations.
  
• During this process, it was agreed that a “tripartite commission”, consisting of the Egyptian Sports Ministry, the IOC (representing the Olympic Movement as a whole) and the Egyptian Olympic Committee (representing the Olympic Movement in Egypt), will be established to supervise the implementation of the process and to address any specific issue which might arise during this period.

A letter will be sent shortly to the Egyptian Government to ratify this agreement and establish the details of the process.
The IOC and all partners of the Olympic Movement are hopeful that this meeting will pave the way for a fruitful cooperation with the Government authorities in Egypt with full respect to the basic principles and rules which govern the Olympic Movement.  

KALYAN KUMAR MAHATA The true appellation of Apu.

IOC President meets Italian Prime Minister Enrico Letta

©Simone Ferraro/GMT

22/11/2013

INTERNATIONAL OLYMPIC COMMITTEE

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On the first day of a two-day visit to Rome, International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach today met Italian Prime Minister Enrico Letta.

The pair discussed sports development in Italy, and the Italian Prime Minister expressed his strong support for a potential Olympic bid for 2024.

Accompanying the President for the meeting at the Prime Minister’s Office were IOC Member Mario Pescante, Italian National Olympic Committee President Giovanni Malagó and IOC Director General Christophe De Kepper.

Earlier, President Bach delivered a welcome address to the General Assembly of the European Olympic Committees (EOC), where he outlined his vision and ideas about the evolution of the IOC and his activities during his first two months as IOC President.

KALYAN KUMAR MAHATA The true appellation of Apu.

Pope Francis talks of sport's ability to build bridges at audience with Olympic Family in Rome

23/11/2013

INTERNATIONAL OLYMPIC COMMITTEE

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International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach presented Pope Francis with the Olympic Order in Gold today at the Vatican. 

The award was offered to the Pope and accepted in recognition of his understanding of the good that sport can do for young people and the desire to build peace.
In his address, Pope Francis took up President Bach's theme that  'sport is able to build bridges and break down walls.'
“I wish to encourage institutions such as yours, which promote sports – especially to the younger generations – as a way of training for peace, mutual sharing and harmonious coexistence of people,” Pope Francis said during the ceremony. “Sports tend to unite rather than divide!” 
The award ceremony was attended by members of the European Olympic Committees (EOC), including its President and IOC Executive Board member, Patrick Hickey, and presidents of the National Olympic Committees in Europe.
“Your love of sport and your understanding of how sport can be put at the service of society are well known. You have talked of the ‘social responsibility that sports men and women have, both on and off the field, to act as true role models,’” President Bach told Pope Francis during the ceremony.

“The Olympic Games, and the Athletes’ Village in particular, are a place where athletes from all 204 National Olympic Committees can stay together, start to understand each other, and make a contribution to peace building.  Indeed, they are a model for a community built on a spirit of mutual respect, peace and understanding.”
“You truly understand the joy in human spirit that sport can bring but just as much the deeper values that it can nurture.”

KALYAN KUMAR MAHATA The true appellation of Apu.

SOCHI 2014

French flagbearer Jason Lamy-Chappuis is hoping to write another golden Olympic chapter

22/11/2013

INTERNATIONAL OLYMPIC COMMITTEE

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On 7 February 2014, Jason Lamy-Chappuis will be the first French athlete to enter Sochi’s Olympic Stadium in Sochi, as the proud flagbearer of his nation’s delegation. A few days later he will switch his attentions to the RuSski Gorki Jumping Center to begin the defence of his Olympic Nordic combined title, the first of three golds that the Frenchman will be hoping to win at Sochi 2014.

“The Olympic Games were something I’d dreamed about since I was a kid,” reflects Jason Lamy-Chappuis. “I grew up with my head full of images. The dream came true for me in 2006 when I competed in Turin, and then again four years later in Vancouver when I achieved my ultimate ambition.”

He has vivid memories of the moment when at the age of 19 he first announced his arrival on the Olympic stage, causing a major surprise as he finished fourth in the sprint, missing out on the podium by a mere 15 seconds. “That was a great debut,” he recalls. “There were no regrets as I’d given my all, and I was then able to look forward to the next Games knowing that over the following four years I would have time to mature and get stronger, and that would take me closer to my ultimate goal.”
Sure enough, his improvement curve over subsequent FIS World Cup campaigns was palpable. Blessed with excellent jumping technique, the Frenchman improved his physical strength and was soon recording some impressive victories. Already with one hand on the 2009-2010 Nordic Combined Crystal Globe by the time he arrived at Vancouver 2010, his Olympic love affair was consummated on Valentine’s Day when he got the better of an intense sprint duel with the USA’s Johnny Spillane to claim individual gold on the normal hill.

On top of the world
After that he embarked on a winning streak that saw him win the overall title in the Nordic Combined World Cup three seasons running (2009-2010, 2010-2011 and 2011-2012).He also claimed the 2011 World Championship title on the iconic large hill at Holmenkollen, Oslo, and two years later at the 2013 Worlds in Val di Fiemme he bagged a remarkable hat-trick of gold medals (in the 10km normal hill, team normal hill and team sprint). “I felt I had to do justice to my Olympic title. I had to keep my place as world number one, and that needed all my concentration. That gave me a great deal of pleasure,” he beams.
Looking ahead to Sochi, he is clear about his objectives: “I want to defend my Olympic title and get a podium finish with the team. I don’t care which event it happens in, it could be the large hill or the normal hill - I’ll take either! But the competition is going to be ferocious.”

Lamy-Chapuis, who is based in Bois-d’Amont in the heart of France’s Jura mountain range, but was actually born in Montana (USA) to an American mother and a French father, has mapped out a precise campaign plan to ensure he hits peak form in Russia: “My goal is to keep improving my performances in each World Cup stage,” he explains. “Hopefully, I’ll achieve some good results, which will be a good confidence booster, but I also plan to pace myself so I don’t use up too much energy.”
But before his thoughts turn to the competition, he has his starring role in the Opening Ceremony to look forward to “It will be a magical experience carrying the flag,” he says. “I’m going to make sure I take in every last detail. It will be unforgettable. And I don’t need to worry about using up too much energy, as I don’t compete in my first event until five days later.”
Whatever happens at RuSski Gorki, Lamy-Chappuis is determined to enjoy Sochi 2014 to the max. “These are the moments you live for. As athletes, our careers are punctuated by joy and disappointment. That’s what makes sport so beautiful.”
Follow Jason Lamy-Chappuis on the Athletes' Hub.

KALYAN KUMAR MAHATA The true appellation of Apu.

IOC President has private audience with Pope Francis

22/11/2013

INTERNATIONAL OLYMPIC COMMITTEE

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International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach met Pope Francis today at the Vatican, where the two leaders discussed the importance of sport in society and its contribution to building a more peaceful and better world.

In a private audience, the Pope stressed the contribution that the Olympic movement can make to peace building and mutual understanding, and the values that sport can deliver.
President Bach emphasised sport's ability to build bridges and the example that the Olympic Games and especially the Athlete’s Village can give to the world in showing how different cultures can live together in harmony.
The Pope also congratulated President Bach on his election as President of the IOC – which took place in his home town of Buenos Aires in September.
President Bach will present Pope Francis with the Olympic Order in gold on Saturday during a ceremony at the Vatican City attended by members of the European Olympic Committees (EOC), who are holding their General Assembly in Rome from 22 to 23 November.
The President is also scheduled to meet Italian Prime Minister Enrico Letta.
Earlier, the President delivered a welcome address to the EOC General Assembly, where he outlined his vision for the Olympic Movement and reported on his activities during his first two months as IOC President.

KALYAN KUMAR MAHATA The true appellation of Apu.

Nanjing 2014 News

The judo spirit comes to China

©Nanjing 2014

 

22/11/2013

INTERNATIONAL OLYMPIC COMMITTEE

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Ten days, 1,000 kilometres and 2,500 happy judokas later and the first stage of the “Judo Educational Journey Through China” drew to a successful close at the iconic Great Wall earlier this month.

Bringing the martial art to young people across the country, the tour, run by the International Judo Federation and the Chinese Judo Association, aimed to reach out to children and young people who are less familiar with the sport and introduce them to the values judo teaches by staging workshops in schools, universities, clubs, training centres and public spaces, hosted by Olympic and world champions.

Tong Wen, Olympic and World Champion and XU Lili, Silver Medallist in London

A 15-strong group from the Chinese Judo Association accompanied the tour, including decorated Olympic and world champions Tong Wen and Xian Dongmei, who were on hand to share their advice with the young athletes and teach them about the Olympic values.

Speaking about the project, Tong said: “The tour offered me the opportunity to discover a new dimension of my beloved sport. For many years, I have been focusing on top level, but now I can see that judo is more than a sport, it is an educational tool.”

The tour, supported by Olympic Solidarity and the Chinese National Olympic Committee, will visit new cities in 2014 before finishing in Nanjing ahead of the second Youth Olympic Games in August.

KALYAN KUMAR MAHATA The true appellation of Apu.

Women and sport

Kuwait action plan sets out a promising future for African and Asian women in sport

©OCA Media Department

 

21/11/2013

INTERNATIONAL OLYMPIC COMMITTEE

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The first Afro-Asian Women and Sport Forum taking place in Kuwait and jointly organised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) and the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa (ANOCA), came to a close yesterday with a clear promise and active commitment to furthering the development of women’s role in the world of sport in the two continents.

Opening addresses from OCA President Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah and ANOCA President Lassana Palenfo set the tone for the three-day event as they outlined the achievements made and the challenges ahead for women in sport. The Forum, attended by representatives from all 98 African and Asian NOCs, as well as delegates from the United Nations agencies, NGOs, the IOC, ANOCA, the OCA, and Continental and National Federations, concluded with the drawing up of an action plan reaffirming the delegates’ determination to include women representatives in all committees, monitor and communicate women’s participation in the world of sport at all levels, and organise an Afro-Asian Women and Sport Forum every two years.
Read the full action plan here.
Sheikh Al-Sabah declared: “Africa and Asia may have started late in terms of women’s sport but our development has been the fastest in recent years. Africa and Asia have a total of 11 female IOC members, which is the highest percentage among the five continents. I’m also very proud that all of our 98 NOCs sent female delegates to participate in the London 2012 Olympic Games.”
ANOCA President Palenfo reminded participants that while progress has been made regarding women’s sports, still more needs to be done by the global sports community. He added: “Africa and Asia should work on measures to bolster ties within sport, and I wish this forum could be the perfect opportunity to address obstacles and develop women’s sports in both continents.”
The three-day event was an opportunity for over 130 women leaders and athletes from the two continents to discuss the gender-equality barriers they face in their countries and share their experiences to strengthen women’s networks in Africa and Asia.
Feedback from those attending the forum was positive. Samira Asghari, the 19-year-old Finance Director at the Afghanistan NOC and national team basketball player, said: “The IOC Women and Sport Forum for Africa and Asia is really bringing everyone together. I have learned a lot in the last two days. It offers such a great opportunity for us to not only share experiences together but also help and advise each other so that we can improve the situation for women and women’s sport in our NOC.”
IOC Executive Board member and Chair of the IOC Women and Sport Commission Anita DeFrantz also shared her delight with the positive outcome of the forum, describing it as “a wonderful gathering for all African and Asian NOCs.” She added: “I have been very impressed with the quality of the speakers’ presentations and the questions and feedback from the participants. I believe the outcomes from this forum will make a big change. Together with the IOC, the leadership of ANOC, the OCA and ANOCA, it will have a positive impact on women and sport.”
For further information on the Forum, check out the OCA website: www.ocasia.org
Learn more about the IOC Women and Sport Commission