KALYAN KUMAR MAHATA The true appellation of Apu.

IOC discusses autonomy and good governance

28/05/2014

Key stakeholders of the Olympic Movement met Tuesday at the International Olympic Committee (IOC) headquarters in Lausanne specifically to discuss autonomy and good governance in sport. The meeting was a follow up to the 2nd Olympic Movement Coordination Meeting in November 2013.

All key matters related to autonomy and good governance were tabled at the meeting in preparation for the 3rd Olympic Summit on 19 July. A list of recommendations generated during the meeting will be proposed at the upcoming Summit. 
The meeting was chaired by Patrick Hickey, IOC Delegate Member for Autonomy, IOC Executive Board member and ANOC Senior Vice-President. Participating in the meeting were Office Director for the ANOC President Husain Al-Musallam, ASOIF Executive Director Andrew Ryan, International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) General Secretary Horst Lichtner, FIFA Head of Member Associations Primo Corvaro, IOC Sports Director Kit McConnell, IOC Director of NOC Relations Pere Miró, IOC Head of Institutional Relations & Governance Jérôme Poivey, and IOC Head of NOC Information Services Joëlle Simond.
Under the instruction of IOC President Thomas Bach, the taskforce started to investigate an incident that may represent discrimination against the baseball / softball federation of Israel at the General Meeting of the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) in Hammamet,Tunisia earlier this month.

Following the conclusions and instructions of the 2nd Olympic Movement Coordination Meeting, Tuesday’s meeting reviewed the possibility of formalising a permanent network among the Olympic Movement stakeholders in order in particular to improve the coordination and exchange of information, and to establish a taskforce on a case-by-case basis to address conflicts related to autonomy of the Olympic Movement. The permanent network and ad-hoc taskforce are set to operate under the leadership and coordination of the IOC.

At the conclusion of today’s meeting, IOC Delegate Member for Autonomy Hickey said: “It is a great honour to have been appointed to this position and to chair this preparatory meeting in view of the next Olympic Summit in July. Autonomy and good governance in sport is a top priority for the IOC and IOC President Thomas Bach, who has made it a part of the Olympic Agenda 2020 process which will set a strategic road map for the Olympic Movement.”

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KALYAN KUMAR MAHATA The true appellation of Apu.

Russians overwhelming positive about Sochi 2014 – Poll

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28/05/2014

The Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games struck an extremely positive chord with the people of Russia earlier this year, a survey by global information and measurement company Nielsen shows.

The first Olympic Winter Games to be hosted by the traditional winter-sport powerhouse, Sochi 2014 met or significantly exceeded the expectations of 94 per cent of Russians, the poll found.

In assessing individual aspects of the Sochi 2014 Games, Russians reserved the highest praise for the organisation of the Games (94 per cent), while 75 per cent of respondents believed the Games would leave a considerable positive legacy for the country for years to come. Most Russians, for example, think that the Games helped get children interested in sport (80 per cent), got people of all ages interested in playing sports (69 per cent), benefited the tourism industry in Russia (67 per cent) and contributed to positive change in the country (66 per cent), among others.

The Sochi Olympic Winter Games took place from 7 to 23 February and received universal approval from the athletes and stakeholders of the Olympic Movement. The Games were watched by a potential audience of 4.1 billion worldwide. In Russia, 88 per cent of the population followed the Games. 93 per cent watched on TV, 73 per cent via the Internet and 17 per cent on mobile applications, according to the survey.
Eight out of 10 Russians who watched the Sochi Olympic Games said it was the best event they had ever attended or watched. Similarly, 80 per cent of respondents also felt the Sochi Games were the most important positive event of 2014.
The independent report was commissioned by Sochi 2014 and conducted in April. It canvassed 2,093 respondents aged 16 to 45 from 22 Russian cities.

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KALYAN KUMAR MAHATA The true appellation of Apu.

Nanjinglele and Pride the Lion on tour in London

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28/05/2014

Since the Youth Olympic flame was lit last month in Athens, Greece, the mascot NANJINGLELE has been globetrotting around the world with the Virtual Torch Relay.

He made a stop last week in London, UK, for a quick sightseeing tour with friendly Team GB mascot Pride the Lion. Their first stop was the Olympic Stadium, followed by many other London 2012 venues, such as the Horse Guards Parade that hosted the Beach Volleyball event , the velodrome and the ArcelorMittal Orbit in the Olympic Park.
The mascots also had a lot of fun taking pictures with iconic British landmarks and sights like Big Ben, the famous red telephone boxes, black cabs and a trip on the London Underground!
They ended the day with a cup of English tea, and Pride taught NANJINGLELE how to make a proper “cuppa”.
Follow NANJINGLELE around the world as a virtual torch bearer by getting the Nanjing 2014 Torch Relay App: http://torchrelay.nanjing2014.org/

KALYAN KUMAR MAHATA The true appellation of Apu.

IOC President welcomes ambassadors from EU member states in Switzerland to Olympic Museum

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27/05/2014

The President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Thomas Bach, welcomed ambassadors from member states of the European Union who are based in Switzerland and government officials from the City of Lausanne and Canton of Vaud at The Olympic Museum today in Lausanne.

The visit to The Museum was proposed by the Embassy of Greece in Bern and the Greek Ambassador to Switzerland, His Excellency Harris Manessis. Greece currently holds the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, a position that rotates between the member states of the EU every six months. The Greek ambassador was joined by his counterparts from 21 EU member states to visit Lausanne for the day, a trip that also included stops at the Maison de L’Elysee and the Jean Monnet Foundation for Europe.
The delegation heard speeches from President Bach, Ambassador Manessis, Minister of Finance and External Relations for the Canton of Vaud Pascal Broulis, and Lausanne Mayor Daniel Brélaz.
In his remarks, President Bach took the opportunity to re-emphasise the strong ties between the IOC and the Swiss authorities at federal, cantonal and local levels. He also underlined the important role of sport in the EU, and its power to build strong citizens and a strong society.

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KALYAN KUMAR MAHATA The true appellation of Apu.

Life after Sport

26/05/2014

To get to the top level in sport, athletes have to give it their all. However, sporting careers can be short. So what happens when they come to an end?

“For me it was always important to have a second plan,” says Alex Baumann, Olympic silver medallist in bobsleigh in Sochi earlier this year. “As an athlete you rely on the health of your body and as we all know that can stop from one moment to the other.”

This is where the International Olympic Committee’s Athlete Career Programme (ACP) can help. It is delivered in cooperation with Adecco, and serves to support athletes while they prepare for and go through their career transition. It provides resources and training to develop life skills and maximise their education and employment opportunities.

Zurich based Baumann joined up with the programme in 2012 via the Swiss Olympic Athlete Career Programme just after finishing his Bachelor’s degree in environmental sciences.  Keen to continue training for Sochi, he also wanted to pursue his Master’s degree in food microbiology, but recognised the need to start gaining valuable work experience. He found the perfect match - an employer in the food industry willing to allow a flexible work programme that could fit around Baumann’s training and study obligations.

“It is a challenge to combine training and working of course, but you need an employer who is flexible in times. In the end it is all about planning,” he says
One Olympic silver medal and a Master’s degree later, Baumann is now fully employed by a renowned Swiss confectionery company that first gave him a chance. And the flexible work hours are still in place as Baumann continues his sports training.

“Bobsleigh is like life. There are a lot of lines and turns – it’s unpredictable. When you don’t have a second plan then it is scary to think about your life after sport career,” he says. “You need to do your preparation before.”

Learn more about the IOC Athlete Career Programme here

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KALYAN KUMAR MAHATA The true appellation of Apu.

Coca-Cola launches Nanjing 2014 logo with 100 days to go

22/05/2014

To mark 100 days to go until the start of the Nanjing 2014 Youth Olympic Games, Worldwide TOP Partner Coca-Cola last week launched its Nanjing 2014 logo.

David Brooks, the President of Coca-Cola’s Greater China and Korea Business Unit, and the Vice-Mayor of Nanjing and Deputy Secretary-General of the Nanjing Youth Olympic Games Organising Committee, Liu Yian, unveiled the official Coca-Cola Nanjing 2014 logo at an event with over 1,500 young participants.
Coca-Cola has always promoted the Games through logos with inspirational designs, throughout its long partnership with the Olympic Movement. This year’s logo for Nanjing is no exception, combining traditional Chinese “banners” with the Nanjing 2014 and Coca-Cola logos.
For more information, visit the Nanjing Official website.

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Lillehammer 2016 energised by visit of IOC President

KALYAN KUMAR MAHATA The true appellation of Apu.

©Geir Owe Fredheim

22/05/2014

After a two-day action-packed visit from IOC President Thomas Bach, the team working on the Lillehammer 2016 Youth Olympic Games (YOG) got down to business with the IOC Coordination Commission, headed by double Olympic ice hockey champion Angela Ruggiero, for two days of progress updates, guidance and idea-sharing with the Organising Committee (LYOGOC).

With just over 18 months to go until the 2nd Winter YOG, the team has made good progress since the previous IOC Coordination Commission visit last autumn. LYOGOC has grown from four permanent members of staff to 20. This figure will increase to a modest 90 people during the Games themselves, while drawing upon the strong local network of experts with a wealth of Olympic and international event experience who will act as mentors to the young future sporting leaders. In addition, 2,300 volunteers will be in operation during Games time.
The team has made great strides in raising awareness of the YOG. A first major marketing partner has been announced with Adecco, and young people are at the centre of all initiatives, with local college students and young designers creating the “Look of the Games”, emblem and pictograms. The latter were unveiled by the IOC President earlier this week with the help of athletes aiming to compete at Lillehammer 2016, topped off with a “selfie” photo that was shared on social media.
LYOGOC are also drawing upon the success of Norway’s Sochi 2014 athletes to help raise the profile of the Games, and are aiming to build upon this in the coming months.
Coordination Commission Chair Angela Ruggiero commented, “The progress made so far this year is impressive. This small team has really embraced the YOG spirit, not just in their approach and engagement with young people, but also in the way they have put young people at the heart of the organisation while drawing on the rich Olympic knowledge existing in the area.”
With the use of all existing venues from Lillehammer ’94, the future legacy focus is on the newly constructed Youth Olympic Village. Supported by the IOC’s EUR 13.5m investment, this project will be used as student housing before and after the Games, and plans are also underway for overseas students to study at this centre and benefit from its world-class sports facilities.
Finally, before leaving Lillehammer, the IOC President asked the organisers to give their valuable input to the Olympic Agenda 2020 project; to propose their ideas and innovations to keep the YOG unique and inspiring for young athletes.
LYOGOC CEO, Thomas Holmestad said, “We are truly grateful for the open dialogue we have with the IOC, and we really appreciate how much the IOC prioritises the YOG. We are encouraged by the trust they show us by constantly challenging us to come up with new ideas for how the YOG should be in the future.”

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Lillehammer 2016
The 2nd edition of the Winter Youth Olympic Games will take place between 12 and 21 February 2016. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

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