Representatives of the Olympic Movement, led by the President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Jacques Rogge, today met with Ján Figel’, European Commissioner for Education, Training, Culture and Youth, and his delegation at the IOC headquarters in Lausanne. The meeting came as a follow-up on the action points specified in the recent European Council Declaration on Sport, which was presented in the Conclusions of the French Presidency of the European Union (EU) in mid-December 2008. In the Declaration, the heads of state call on the European Commission to strengthen its dialogue with the IOC, besides underlining the values of sport and its specific characteristics above its economic dimension. The promotion of the autonomy of the Olympic and Sports Movement as well as the protection of the integrity and fairness of the competitions has been high on the IOC’s agenda over the years.



Topics of today’s discussions included:

- the specificity and autonomy of sport,

- the financing of sport and betting,

- the application of EU competition law and of free movement principles in the field of sport,

- and the fight against doping.



During the meeting, Ján Figel’ confirmed his respect for the autonomous and self-regulatory character of sports organisations. He also recognised that sport is organised internationally and built on a worldwide pyramid system, which was to be considered in the future dialogue between the EU and the sports world. The Olympic Movement representatives stressed the need to safeguard the existing mechanisms of financial solidarity towards grassroots sport – a principle for which the European Commissioner expressed his full support. Looking into the future, Figel’ stated that his team is currently preparing for the implementation of the Lisbon Treaty, which still has to be ratified and contains a reference to sport. He considered the Olympic Movement’s input as crucial in that regard.



After the meeting, the IOC President said: "The EU benefits from sport and its values. Organised sport is one of the biggest social movements in society, and its social, educational and health-promoting role is significant. At the same time sports organisations also need the support of the EU to tackle challenges like doping, irregular betting, racism and violence and to safeguard the specificity of sports structures and sporting rules. It is vital that we work closer together to tap the full potential of sport, and today’s meeting was an important step."



Commissioner Figel’ said: "I am pleased that the profile of sport has increased in the minds of government policy makers and stakeholders. Last November’s informal Sports Ministerial Meeting and EU Sport Forum gave sports an additional strong boost, and it is important that we maintain this momentum. There are important issues at stake. That is why we in the Commission welcome the new approach of having a regular, structured dialogue with the IOC. Today’s meeting is a tangible outcome of the new approach. "



List of participants in the meeting:

European Commission

Ján Figel’, European Commissioner for Education, Training, Culture and Youth       

Bernd Biervert, Member of the Cabinet of Ján Figel’          

Pierre Mairesse, Director of Sport           

Michal Krejza, Head of the Sport Unit



Olympic Movement

Jacques Rogge, IOC President

Mario Pescante, IOC Executive Board member and Chairman of the IOC International Relations Commission

Patrick Hickey, IOC member and EOC President

Joseph S. Blatter, IOC member and FIFA President

Jérôme Champagne, FIFA Director of International Relations

Marco Villiger, FIFA Legal Director

Denis Oswald, IOC member and ASOIF President

René Fasel, IOC Executive Board member and AIOWF President

Patrick Baumann, IOC member and GAISF representative

Guy Drut, IOC member

Henri Sérandour, CNOSF President

Yves Vonlanthen, IIHF Administration and Legal Manager

Jean-Paul Clémençon, CNOSF Chief of Staff

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) today officially launched the bidding process to host the 2nd Summer Youth Olympic Games in 2014. A letter was sent out to all National Olympic Committees (NOCs) informing them of the procedure and documentation available for cities interested in bidding for the Games.

The letter to the NOCs is accompanied by the Summer Youth Olympic Games General Presentation and Candidature Procedure & Questionnaire. Both documents are available on www.olympic.org.

The schedule for the election of the Host City of the 2nd Summer Youth Olympic Games in 2014 is as follows:

The Summer Youth Olympic Games in 2014 age group 14 to 18 - will bring together approximately 3,500 athletes and 1,100 team officials. The sports programme will be chosen from the Summer Olympic Games 2016 sports’ programme, with a limited number of disciplines and events by sport which are of particular interest to the younger generation.

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For further information, please contact the IOC Communications Department, Tel: +41 21 621 60 00, email: pressoffice@olympic.org

How to turn theory into concrete action for a healthier and active lifestyle for all generations was at the centre of the 12th World Sport for All Congress, which was held in Malaysia from 3 to 6 November 2008. Under the motto “Sport for All – Sport for Life”, 505 participants from 96 countries worked together to share knowledge, discuss best practice and find progressive solutions to counteract trends of physical inactivity. The event was organised by the Olympic Council of Malaysia under the patronage of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and its Sport for All Commission, in collaboration with the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the General Association of International Sports Federations (GAISF).

 

Declaration shows way forward         

The most important insights and conclusions were wrapped up in a declaration, which was adopted unanimously by all the participants and presented by Walther Tröger, Chairman of the IOC’s Sport for All Commission.  The declaration addresses current challenges in this field and gives recommendations for future action as well as partnerships. It also appeals to the various stakeholders involved, such as sports organisations on international, national, regional and local levels, governments, public authorities and schools. The next World Sport for All Congress, to be held in Jyväskylä, Finland from 14 to 17 June 2010, will offer the opportunity to closely follow up whether, and how, the contents of the declaration have been brought to life.        

 



From a Malaysian point of view

Tunku Imran, President of the Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM), is very happy with the success of the event, and hopes Malaysians will put into practice what they have learnt from other successful nations: “We can establish policies, but what is more important is implementing them at the grassroots level and in schools,” he said. “Malaysians know the theories, but they must start putting them into practice. Unfortunately, that’s something that’s clearly lacking. Some schools have only one hour of physical education in a week.”

 

Spirit for joint efforts   

Walther Tröger thanked the Malaysian hosts for staging an “extraordinary Congress”. “It has been a great experience to see so many Sport for All experts and practitioners on one spot benefitting from each others’ experience”, he said at the closing of the event. “You could really feel the overall spirit for joint efforts during the sessions and during the breaks. I look forward to seeing concrete outcomes of these interactions at the next World Sport for All Congress in two years in Finland. But also the Olympic Congress in October 2009 in Copenhagen will set another milestone in pushing for a healthier lifestyle in society.”

 

Under the overall Congress theme “The Olympic Movement in Society”, one focus will be on “Moving towards an active society”.

  Read the full text of the declaration here

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) today revealed the names of the finalist Candidate Cities from which the host city for the 1st Winter Youth Olympic Games in 2012 will be elected. Innsbruck and Kuopio were selected by the IOC Executive Board last week, and will now be submitted to a postal vote by the IOC members. The host city will be announced by IOC President Jacques Rogge in a live web cast on www.olympic.org, provisionally scheduled for 12 December 2008.

The EB’s decision on the two finalists was based on an IOC Evaluation Commission report, which is now available below. Chaired by Pernilla Wiberg, the Commission assessed the projects of the four shortlisted Candidate Cities - Harbin (China), Innsbruck (Austria), Kuopio (Finland) and Lillehammer (Norway). The report focused on the risks associated with the organisation of the Games within the timeframe of only three years to plan and prepare to host the first edition of this new event.

The vote will take place over the coming weeks, with all IOC members, except those from Austria and Finland, entitled to vote. An independent and certified notary based in Lausanne, Switzerland, will oversee the process to guarantee confidentiality. The city with the highest number of votes will be elected as the host city of the 1st Winter Youth Olympic Games in 2012, marking the conclusion of a candidature process that started in March 2008. In the event of a tie, the IOC President will consult the EB members entitled to vote and will make the final decision based on this consultation.

 

 Report of the IOC Evaluation Commission

The Youth Olympic Games aim to bring together talented athletes – age group 14 to 18 - from around the world to participate in high-level competitions but also to run, alongside the sports element of the event, educational programmes on the Olympic values, the benefits of sport for a healthy lifestyle, the social values sport can deliver and the dangers of doping and of training to excess and/or of inactivity.

 

The first Winter Youth Olympic Games will bring together approximately 1,000 athletes and 500 team officials The sports programme will encompass all sports on the programme of the 2010 Olympic Winter Games, with a limited number of disciplines and events.

The Commission was composed of Pernilla Wiberg (Athletes’ Commission), Victor Khotochkin (NOC representative), Fredi Schmid (IF representative), Martin Rutishauser (Member, EYOF Commission of the EOC), Gilbert Felli (IOC Olympic Games Executive Director), Christophe Dubi (IOC Sports Director) and Essar Gabriel (IOC Head of Youth Olympic Games).

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For further information, please contact the IOC Communications Department, Tel: +41 21 621 60 00, email: pressoffice@olympic.org

The Coordination Commission of the 1st Summer Youth Olympic Games concluded its first visit to the host city Singapore today. Eight months after the host city announcement on 21 February 2008, the Singapore Organising Committee (SYOGOC) has already established all the foundations necessary to stage the Games in 2010. “We are impressed with how the preparations have advanced. SYOGOC is very much on track”, said Sergey Bubka, Chairman of the Coordination Commission, at the end of the visit. “We can count on the full support of the whole of Government and all Singaporeans, as well as on a highly dynamic team committed to serving our vision for these Games”, concluded SYOGOC Chairman and IOC Executive Board member Ser Miang NG.

 

The Coordination Commission had the opportunity to visit various venues that will stage the 200 events in 26 sports. A master plan proposal for the venues for the 1st Youth Olympic Games was put forward by SYOGOC for approval.

 

The seven members* of the Coordination Commission were highly impressed by the Youth Olympic Village based at the Nanyang Technological University (NTU) campus. This site offers not only the capacity to host the 5,000 athletes and team officials expected to participate in the Games, but also training facilities for many sports and excellent facilities for the culture and education programme.

 

The Organising Committee emphasised in its presentations the importance of the culture and education programme. In order to match the different origin and languages of all participants, most of these activities would be centred on experience-based education, allowing the athletes to experiment and learn at the same time. The project also includes well targeted communications initiatives, including a specific youth website and other digital applications to reach out to young people all over the world.

 

”Presentations were of a high standard and we can return home with the feeling that our partners in Singapore have well understood the mission entrusted to them, and that they can cope with the considerable time pressure. We just have to keep up the same pace and vigilance for the remaining 22 months until the opening of the inaugural Youth Olympic Games”, concluded Sergey Bubka. 

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The Youth Olympic Games in Singapore, to be held between 14 and 26 of August 2010, will bring together 3,500 athletes between 14 and 18 years of age from all 205 National Olympic Committees to compete in the 26 sports on the London 2012 Olympic Games programme. fully fledged education programme will raise participants’ awareness of the Olympic values and topics like healthy lifestyles and the fight against doping. A number of communications initiatives will link the youth of the world with the event. A culture programme will ensure a festive and pleasant atmosphere within the host city.

 

*Members of the Coordination Commission: Sergey Bubka, IOC member and Chairman; Nat Indrapana, IOC member; Syed Shahid Ali, IOC member; Raja Randhir Singh**, IOC member; Frank Fredericks, IOC member and Chairman of the Athletes’ Commission; Rania Elwani**, IOC member; Guido de Bondt, NOC representative; Andrew Ryan, IF representative; and  Gilbert Felli, Olympic Games Executive Director. The Coordination Commission is the group of representatives from the IOC and the Olympic Movement who will be monitoring the Youth Olympic Games preparations and guiding the Singapore Organising Committee.

(** not present at the 1st Coordination Commission meeting in Singapore)

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