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The power of sport are the International Federations.
The engine of sport are the National Federations with Ministries of Sport, the NOCs and the athletes.
Sport today is not only a mechanism meant to organise big events and create champions, it is also an important education factor for the young generations, a discipline and health activator. Moreover, it is the key element of progress for the youth of the world, in the spirit of solidarity, friendship and peace.
SportAccord is the International Federations. My only intention is to protect the interests of the International Federations and to have a proper working relationship while providing them with projects and platforms in order to increase their visibility, exposure, participation and finance. Many projects are under way, including multi-sport games, integrity and doping-free, media house, SportAccord Academy and many more which you will learn about later today. We enjoy working in collaboration with ASOIF, AIOWF, ARISF, AIMS in order to add value.
After becoming SportAccord President, I always tried to develop a constructive collaboration with the IOC and with President Bach. A collaboration based on respect towards the Olympic Movement, its members and the values in which I believe. Unfortunately, it never became reality. I made a number of proposals in favor and for the benefit of IFs and SportAccord but we have never received a positive reaction. Mr. President, stop blocking the SportAccord strategy in its mission to identify and organize conventions and multi-sport games. Do not try to create a theory around which sports are and are not eligible for multi-sport games. Do not try to impose upon the organizers of SportAccord events guidelines on how to distribute funds generated and earned by ourselves. Do not interfere in the autonomy of the sport organizations.
The main joint platform of the IFs is SportAccord. It is a unique platform that unites all International Federations. The Olympic bid cities are blocked from making presentations or exhibiting their candidatures at SportAccord Convention.
The voting for potential host cities of the Olympic Games is compromised. Key stakeholders are excluded from making informed decisions when selecting Olympic host cities: the bid cities cannot present their candidatures at SportAccord Convention to all stakeholders, IOC members cannot visit bid cities and during the IOC Session, when the vote takes place, IF presidents – who are organizers of the Olympic Games, are obliged to leave the room.
The Agenda 2020 was promoted as a platform, which would bring reforms to the world of sport and benefits for all stakeholders. However, the interests of the International Federations were not properly addressed. The Agenda 2020 hardly brings any real benefit to sport, to IFs, or athletes. It did not bring about more clear criteria, rules and principles. “You, all present, are the main constituents of the Olympic Movement”. Recommendation 9 and 10 of Agenda 2020 lead to a destabilizing of the Olympic sports. We must protect the Olympic sports and disciplines currently in the Olympic programme and at the same time we must encourage and support the new sports and disciplines who want to join. We are a united world sports family of Olympic and non-Olympic sports and we must act accordingly.
Recommendation 19, the launch of an Olympic channel was very surprising. The IOC Members voted in December 2014, in the IOC Session, unilaterally, without a clear business plan, a commercialization plan and project, to reduce the dividends to International Federations in order to establish the Olympic channel. Leaving from the premise that the Olympic Movement has the assets, any business project in the world needs a business plan, investors, professional partners, breakeven points, strategy, consultation with stakeholders – International Federations and to generate a benefit for all stakeholders. Only after the decision it appears that a plan is in process. At the same time, the cost of more than 450 million dollars to establish a digital channel seems exaggerated. Do consult us as stakeholders of the Olympic Movement regarding all the proposals, contracts and partnerships that are being signed and make them transparent!
C.d.P.
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