The meeting opened by IOC President Thomas Bach, the ANOC Executive Council discussed the latest developments within the association and the implementation of Olympic Agenda 2020 ahead of today’s General Assembly, which will attract more than 1,200 delegates from 206 NOCs. “ANOC is committed to working under the leadership of the IOC for the benefit of the entire Olympic Movement and a report by the IOC was one of the first items on today’s agenda,” say an ANOC press release, with ANOC President Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah stating after the meeting: “We are very pleased with today’s meetings. We heard many excellent reports from the Commissions and Working Groups which are making great progress in developing the way ANOC supports and interacts with NOCs. We also received a report on the ANOC World Beach Games which is of course a project very close to my heart”.
The ANOC World Beach Games also received a great deal of attention from the Executive Council. The Games was conceived by the ANOC President to bring something new and exciting to the international sports calendar and provide a new platform for NOCs to engage with millions of young people around the world. The ANOC Events Working Group has worked closely with industry experts to develop an innovative concept which will be presented for approval to the ANOC General Assembly. The ANOC Executive Council will also present for approval a recommend host city of the inaugural ANOC World Beach Games in 2017. Following the ANOC Executive Council meeting, delegates were invited to the historic National Building Museum for the USOC Reception. IOC President Thomas Bach, ANOC President Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah, USOC President Larry Probst and USOC CEO Scott Blackmun all addressed the delegates during the USA-themed welcome reception. Speaking at the reception, Sheikh Ahmad stressed that ANOC and NOCs would follow Olympic Agenda 2020’s recommendations, adding: “We want the sport society to be a clean society. We are looking to the future and we will follow the IOC in the three key issues of governance, doping and illegal betting.”
Reprinted by Courtesy of Sport Intern, the international inside World Sports news letter.