International Olympic Committee’s Thomas Bach addressed the General Assembly of the Association of National Olympic Committees for the last time as IOC President this week in Portugal. He underscored the importance of showing unity and peaceful competition in the current geopolitical climate.
The Bermuda Olympic Association is being represented by Treasurer Julia Hawley, with the President Peter Dunne in Guyana for the Caribbean Road Cycling Championships as he is also the President of the Bermuda Bicycle Association.
Bach highlighted the Paris Olympic Games as a great example to the world of the unity of humanity, with athletes from the 206 NOCs and the Refugee Olympic Team. He praised the Games for being able to bring about peace and unity amid "all the tension, conflicts, aggression and wars we have to face in our world."
He also noted the organizing committee’s outstanding work, and Tony Estanguet’s leadership, in bringing about “Games that are younger, more urban, more inclusive and sustainable.”
Bach also spoke of the Olympic Solidarity’s role in leveling the playing field. 599 Olympic scholarship holders participated in the Paris Games and won 75 medals. He further showed the IOC’s commitment to the cause by increasing funding for Olympic Solidarity programmes by 10 per cent to $650 million (€598 million).
Bach also urged NOCs to future-proof their organizations and to take advantage of technology and artificial intelligence.
"If we are not proactive in studying what AI can do for sport, and if we are not doing it, others will do it for us, and then we are at great risk of losing the soul of sport. Then it will only be about the commercial and political interests. They will not care about our values. It would only be an advantage to a small handful of richer countries," he stressed.
Over 850 delegates from 288 National Olympic Committees (NOCs) and sports organizations worldwide attended the General Assembly in Cascais to advance international sports. NOCs received the final report on the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, followed by an update from the Milano-Cortina 2026 and the Los Angeles 2028 Organising Committees.
During the assembly, European Olympic Committees (EOC) Secretary General Raffaele Pagnozzi was awarded the ANOC Merit Award in recognition of his services to the Olympic Movement, including the introduction of the European Games in 2015, as well as guiding the organization through Covid-19.
Attendees would learn more about all the funding available for Athletes & National Sports Governing Bodies for the next quadrennial heading to LA2028.
The outgoing IOC president thanked the attendees for their support during his terms and looked back fondly on his time working with the delegations to bring the Olympic Movement forward.
"You will always have a special place in my heart," he said.
|
