KALYAN KUMAR MAHATA The true appellation of Apu.

IOC President to speak at 6th IWG World Conference on Women and Sport

10/06/2014

The President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Thomas Bach, will speak at the Opening Ceremony of the 6th International Working Group (IWG) World Conference on Women and Sport, taking place in Helsinki, Finland, from 12 to 15 June 2014. The event is officially supported by the IOC and held under the motto “Lead the Change, Be the Change”.

Other IOC representatives to feature in the programme include IOC Executive Board members and Olympians Anita DeFrantz and Claudia Bokel. De Frantz led the IOC’s Women and Sport Commission for many years, and Bokel is Chair of the IOC Athletes’ Commission. Finnish IOC member and five-time Olympian Peter Tallberg, as well as the President of the International Paralympic Committee and IOC member, Sir Philip Craven, will also give an address at the Opening Ceremony.

Milestones in women’s and girls’ empowerment in sport

In the run-up to the Helsinki summit, IOC President Thomas Bach said: “Women’s participation in sport and sports administration is a key priority for the IOC. A great deal has been achieved on and off the field of play in recent years – all sports at the Olympic Games are now open to women, for example, and every National Olympic Committee has now sent female athletes to the Games – but we all know that change in this area does not come easily.”
During the last two decades, the IOC has worked continuously to promote women in, and through, sport at all levels which has shown tangible results, for instance: from 23 per cent of the athletes at the 1984 Los Angeles Games being women to more than 44 per cent in London 2012; and from two IOC female members in 1981 to 24 in 2014. In 1991, the IOC decided that any new sport on the Olympic programme must include both men’s and women’s events. On the educational front, the IOC has developed educational tools to help promote safe sporting environments. In addition, efforts to recruit more women into leadership positions have been and remain a priority.
Watch a clip about amazing women’s performances at the Games here.

Advocating for women in sport

The IOC was one of the first organisations to sign the 1994 Brighton Declaration on Women and Sport, following the first IWG World Conference, which called on governments, civil society, businesses, academia, research institutions and sports organisations to advocate for gender parity. Since then, over 400 entities have endorsed the Declaration, including a number of National Olympic Committees and International Sports Federations.
Read the IOC Factsheet “Women in the Olympic Movement”.
Granted United Nations (UN) Observer status in 2009, and with a historic agreement signed a few weeks ago, the IOC is working with the UN in areas including gender equality and the empowerment of women, young people, peace-building, health, education, environmental sustainability and combating HIV/AIDS.
Advocacy initiatives for gender equality in the Olympic Movement include the yearly IOC Women and Sport Awards, which recognise a woman, man or organisation that has worked to develop, encourage and strengthen the participation of women and girls in physical activity, in coaching or in administrative and decision-making structures.
Learn more about the IOC Women and Sport Awards
Learn more about the IOC Women and Sport Commission

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KALYAN KUMAR MAHATA The true appellation of Apu.

IOC President joins 100th anniversary celebrations of Italian NOC in Rome

©CONI

10/06/2014

International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach was in Rome on Monday to mark the 100th anniversary of the National Olympic Committee of Italy (CONI).

The centenary celebrations were also attended by President of the Italian Republic Giorgio Napolitano; Rome Mayor Ignazio Marino; President of the Italian Senate Pietro Grasso; CONI President Giovanni Malago; and IOC members in Italy, including Franco Carraro and Mario Pescante. 

A golden line-up of Italian sports stars was also in attendance, including Alpine skier Alberto Tomba and high jumper Sara Simeoni, two Olympic champions who were named male and female athletes of the Italian centennial.
Speaking at the celebrations, President Bach, who won his fencing team gold medal at the Montreal Games against Italy, said: “I always found my Italian rivals to be not only extremely determined, yet when the contest was over great friends and companions. For me, this is still a lasting legacy – the friendships we made are one of the reasons why I have such admiration for Italian sport.”
The President then went on to praise the work of the NOC over the last 100 years: “CONI has become the benchmark for many NOCs and sporting organisations around the world. We have learnt a lot from Italian sports organisation and for this we are grateful. Therefore, I would like to congratulate and pay my respects not just to the President of CONI, Giovanni Malago, but to all the Presidents in your illustrious history and the great legacy they have left.”
President Bach earlier held private talks with the President of the Italian Republic, Giorgio Napolitano.

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KALYAN KUMAR MAHATA The true appellation of Apu.

Lillehammer mascot competition – Ladies and Gentleman, we have a winner!

06/06/2014

The results of the Facebook vote are in and we are delighted to announce that the winner is this wonderful lynx!

Having been cut down from over 50 entrants to a final shortlist of three, the competition went public, with fans invited to vote for their favourite via Facebook. In a race which went down to the wire, the lynx secured the victory by the slimmest of margins – just 30 votes.
We can’t wait to see what the lynx gets up to before and during the Winter YOG in Lillehammer, stay tuned for what’s next!
Follow us on Facebook and Twitter for more YOG news!

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KALYAN KUMAR MAHATA The true appellation of Apu.

Tokyo 2020 Executive Board establishes Advisory Meeting

©IOC/Richard Juilliart

05/06/2014

The Executive Board of the Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee has announced the establishment of the Tokyo 2020 Advisory Meeting, which comprises a total of 170 leading figures from major domestic stakeholders.

The Advisory Meeting – which is chaired by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe – is made up of representatives from a broad cross-section of Japanese society, and will assist the Organising Committee in its preparations and operations for the 2020 Olympic Games from a variety of perspectives.
Members include Deputy Prime Minister Taro Aso, who competed in shooting in the 1976 Olympic Games and Sydney 2000 Olympic marathon gold medallist Naoko Takahashi. Other notable members include the governors of the three prefectures most affected by the 2011 earthquake and tsunami. The Advisory Meeting is composed of a Chairperson, three Supreme Advisors, eight Special Advisors and a number of official Advisors of which 20% are female.
These appointments complete the key components of Tokyo 2020, and the Advisory Meeting is scheduled to hold its first session this autumn. . (A full list of the 170 members of the Advisory Meeting is available at tokyo2020.jp/en)

The Executive Board – which remains the highest decision making body of Tokyo 2020 – also welcomed its newest member, Haruyuki Takahashi, Chairman of Commons, bringing the total number of Executive Board members to 35.
Another key announcement will see Tokyo 2020 establish partnership arrangements with

universities and colleges

across Japan, with 545 academic institutions already expressing an interest in being involved. The initiatives will further promote Olympic education and build momentum in local communities. University campuses will host a wide range of events and serve as sporting and Olympic educational hubs for the local communities.

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KALYAN KUMAR MAHATA The true appellation of Apu.

IOC announces Kjetil Jansrud as an Ambassador for Lillehammer 2016

©Getty Images

04/06/2014

With just over 18 months to go to the second Winter Youth Olympic Games in Lillehammer, Norway, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced today that Olympic champion Kjetil Jansrud will be an Ambassador for the Games taking place in February 2016.

The Norwegian Alpine skier, who won the gold medal in Super-G at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games, will share his advice and experiences of top-level competition with the next generation of young athletes in his home nation and abroad, while inspiring young people around the world to get active and embrace the Olympic values.

Kjetil got straight into action today by hosting a

training

session for several young athletes aiming to compete in Lillehammer 2016 at the world famous Holmenkollen ski jumping venue, which has been at the heart of Norwegian ski history for over 100 years and was used for the 1952 Olympic Winter Games in Oslo.

He commented, “I started skiing when I was three years old not far from Lillehammer, so it is a real honour for me to be an Ambassador for the Youth Olympic Games almost in my own backyard! This event will really inspire the young athletes in Norway and around the world, and I hope that I can help just a little bit to show how amazing sport is!”

IOC President Thomas Bach said, “We want to get kids active and enjoying the benefits of sport, and the support we have from Kjetil is key to this mission. He is a superb role model, and his passion and dedication to sport will have a big impact on the young people and help ensure that the Youth Olympic Games have a long-lasting benefit in Norway and beyond. I look forward to working with him in Lillehammer!”

The IOC chooses Ambassadors for each edition of the Youth Olympic Games to help spread the word of the event to inspire young people to get active and enjoy sport. Sporting legends such as Usain Bolt, Michael Phelps and Lindsey Vonn, to name a few, have supported this campaign, which is shared with the 38 million fans the IOC has on its various social media channels.

The second edition of the Winter Youth Olympic Games will take place in Lillehammer from 12 to 21 February 2016. The programme will feature the seven sports on the Olympic programme plus some new events such as team ski-snowboard cross and monobob. Off the field of play, athletes will be encouraged to take part in a unique programme of activities and workshops, including sessions on healthy eating, injury prevention, the dangers of doping and illegal betting, careers in sport and media training. All existing venues will be used from the legacy of the Lillehammer ’94 Games.

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The International Olympic Committee is a not-for-profit independent international organisation made up of volunteers, which is committed to building a better world through sport. It redistributes more than 90 per cent of its income to the wider sporting movement, helping athletes and sports organisations at all levels around the world.

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For more information, please contact the IOC Media Relations Team:
Tel: +41 21 621 6000 e-mail: pressoffice@olympic.org, or visit our web site at www.olympic.org.
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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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