Speaking at the 25th anniversary celebration of the NOC of Ukraine, IOC President Thomas Bach said that Ukraine can look back with pride at the past 25 years of sporting history. In his address, Dr. Bach congratulated IOC Member and NOC President Sergey Bubka and Founding President of the NOC, Valeriy Borzov, highlighting the many contributions of Ukrainian athletes to Olympic history. Bach praised the work of the NOC to promote the role of sport in Ukrainian society. “In addition to 25 years of sporting success, the NOC of Ukraine should also be celebrating the work that it is doing to spread the values of sport and the spirit of Olympism throughout the country,” he said.
Earlier President Bach met with Petro Poroshenko, President of Ukraine. They discussed the role of sport to support in peacebuilding and its great importance in Ukrainian society. The IOC support for Ukrainian athletes preparing for the Olympic Games Rio de Janeiro 2016 was also discussed. During his visit, President Bach also participated in the “Do like Olympians” programme at a local secondary school. As part of this programme, which uses Olympians champions to inspire children for sport, President Bach held fencing classes with the children.
ANOC President Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah, joining the 25th anniversary celebration of the Ukrainian NOC, said: “It was an honour to be invited to the prestigious gala dinner and join the anniversary. It was a fantastic evening and a chance for the Olympic family to commemorate the great achievements of Ukrainian athletes and their NOC. Sport plays a very positive role in Ukrainian society and Ukraine’s National Olympic Committee is a great asset to the country. The whole nation should be incredibly proud of what they have achieved and the significant progress they have made in such a short space of time. I would like to offer my sincere congratulations to Sergey Bubka for guiding the NOCU towards a prosperous future and on behalf of ANOC I wish them all the very best for the next 25 years and beyond. I look forward to the participation and contribution of the next generation of Ukrainian athletes at the Rio 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games and the Lillehammer 2016 Winter Youth Olympic Games.”
- This article was republished with permission from the original publisher, sports intern.