KALYAN KUMAR MAHATA The true appellation of Apu.

Tokyo’s National Stadium closes for renovation ahead of 2020 Olympic Games

©IOC

03/06/2014

Olympic champion Koji Murofushi was on-hand to mark the closure of Tokyo’s National Stadium as it prepares to undergo extensive renovations before hosting the Olympic Games in 2020.

Murofushi, a two-time Olympic hammer medallist, joined hundreds of local schoolchildren to form the words ‘Tokyo 2020’ on the playing field ahead of the stadium’s final event – an Asian Five Nations rugby match between Japan and Hong Kong.
“Being on the field today was very moving,” said Murofushi. “This stadium is the sanctum of Japanese sport, full of history and memories. I am delighted and deeply honoured to be here as part of the celebrations to mark its closure.”
The National Stadium first opened in 1958 and hosted that year’s Asian Games before staging the Opening and Closing Ceremonies, as well as the athletics events, during the 1964 Olympic Games.
The new National Stadium – designed by architect Zaha Hadid – is now due to be constructed on the site ahead of the 2020 Games.
“The new National Stadium will be astounding and I can’t wait to be back here in 2020 to welcome athletes and spectators from around the world and to see the fantastic performances,” added Murofushi. “Younger generations will also have the chance to make history in the new National Stadium during the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Tokyo.”
TOKYO 2020 President Yoshiro Mori commented, “In six years from now, the new National Stadium will be the centrepiece of the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games and will play host to the world’s elite athletes. I am looking forward to joining the many fans that will gather here then to welcome the world, and to communicate the power and the values of sport and the Olympic Movement not only to the people of Japan, but to people across the entire planet.”
He continued, “The new stadium will be a legacy for future generations, and I hope the people of Japan will join us in uniting their efforts to ensure that the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games are a resounding success.”
The landmark new National Stadium will also be used for matches during the 2019 Rugby World Cup, as well as hosting the Opening and Closing Ceremonies, athletics, football and rugby competitions during the 2020 Olympic Games.

KALYAN KUMAR MAHATA The true appellation of Apu.

IOC President and Ethiopian President 'talk sport' in Addis Ababa

©IOC/Greg Martin

02/06/2014

International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach and Ethiopian President Mulatu Teshome today discussed enhancing the collaboration between the Ethiopian government and the Olympic Movement.

The Ethiopian President outlined the positive contribution Olympic sports had made in recent years in building the successful development of the nation. And he underlined the "importance of offering aid and support to the National Olympic Committee when needed."
"The values of sport can be invaluable to a country in helping to bring people together and to forge social cohesion," said President Bach. "And it is good to see Olympic Solidarity and Olympafrica helping to deliver this in Ethiopia."
The IOC President also underlined the importance of autonomy to allow sport to flourish.
The two leaders also discussed the success of Ethiopian athletes at the recent African Youth Games in Botswana.
Later, at a lunch hosted by the NOC, the IOC President met the country's foreign minister and many of the country's Olympic athletes, including two-time Olympic marathon champion Haile Gebrsalassie.
Foreign Minister Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus praised the power of the Olympics to "reinforce the image of a country and unite the people behind a common goal."
The day finished with a visit to the NOC headquarters and to the Ethiopian Youth Sports Academy, where President Bach met young athletes.
The IOC President was accompanied by IOC member in Ethiopia Dagmawit Girmay Berhane, and the President of the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa (ANOCA) Lassana Palenfo. Representatives of the Ethiopian NOC also joined the delegation.
Ethiopia was the last stop on President Bach's three-nation African tour that also included visits to Botswana for the 2nd African Youth Games and Kenya.

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KALYAN KUMAR MAHATA The true appellation of Apu.

President Bach visits Kip Keino High School in Kenya

©IOC/Greg Martin

02/06/2014

IOC President Thomas Bach arrived in Kenya on Sunday to visit the schools and orphanage set up by Kenyan sporting legend and IOC honorary member Kip Keino.

While at the Kip Keino High School, the President opened a new multipurpose hall and met the pupils. 
Later he visited a training centre for athletes run by Kip Keino, and met athletes from Kenya and across Africa.

During the visit, Mr Keino also addressed the recent issues linked to drug testing of Kenyan athletes. He said that the investigation by a government-led anti-doping task force had recently finished, and its findings would be released shortly.

Accompanying President Bach and honorary member Keino were IOC member in Kenya Paul Tergat, ANOCA President Lassana Palenfo and IOC member in Ethiopia Dagmawit Girmay Berhane.

KALYAN KUMAR MAHATA The true appellation of Apu.

IOC President wraps up first leg of Africa trip at closing ceremony of the African Youth Games

©IOC/Greg Martin

01/06/2014

International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach has concluded the first of three stops on a visit to Africa, taking in the final two days of the 2nd African Youth Games in Gaborone, Botswana.

Some 2,500 athletes from 54 African nations competed in 21 sports at the competition, which finished with a closing ceremony on Saturday night.
 
While in Gaborone, the IOC President attended a reception hosted by the President of the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa (ANOCA), Lassana Palenfo, which was attended by representatives of all 53 African NOCs present at the Games and representatives of the South Sudan sporting movement.
During the visit the President also met with IOC members in Africa to discuss a range of topics, including the Olympic Agenda 2020. The group exchanged ideas on the strategic roadmap for the future of the Olympic Movement and the contribution that Africa could make.

On Saturday the President convened a meeting of the Sudan NOC and representatives of the South Sudan sporting movement, which the IOC is currently helping to set up its own National Olympic Committee. The parties discussed ways to assist athletes on the ground as well as humanitarian issues. 

The delegations also reported that since the IOC signed a memorandum of understanding with the United Nations, they had been able to contact local UN officials to work on programmes related to sport and development.

Later, the IOC President laid the foundation stone at the site of the future headquarters of the Botswana National Olympic Committee.
At the ceremony for the new HQ, which is being supported by the IOC, he praised the Botswana NOC for their vision.
“You may be a small African country in terms of population,” he said, “but you have placed yourself at the heart of Olympic sport in Africa.”
President Bach is in Africa on a three-nation tour that will also include stops in Kenya and Ethiopia.

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KALYAN KUMAR MAHATA The true appellation of Apu.

IOC President meets young athletes at African Youth Games in Botswana

©IOC/Greg Martin

31/05/2014

International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach quickly got into the swing of things at the African Youth Games in Gaborone, Botswana.

Visiting several of the competitions and the athlete's village, he met young athletes from many of the 54 competing nations.


This is the 2nd edition of the African Youth Games, taking place from 22 to 31 May in the Botswana capital.

President Bach took in a number of competitions, including tennis, athletics and fencing, before meeting young athletes at the athlete's village.

In all 2,500 athletes are competing in 21 sports in an amazing atmosphere at the Games.

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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