Having approved a 16 percent increase in Olympic Solidarity funds, the IOC Executive Board announced that a total of $509,285,000 will be distributed to the world’s National Olympic Committees within the 2017-2020 quadrennial.
The total corresponds to the share of the broadcast rights from the Olympic Games (Rio 2016 and PyeongChang 2018) which will be distributed to the NOCs, with the IOC emphasizing in a press release: “The aim of Olympic Solidarity is to organize assistance for all the NOCs, particularly those with the greatest needs, through a variety of world and continental programs prioritizing athlete development, training of coaches and sports administrators, and promoting the Olympic values.”
“This increase shows that the athletes remain at the heart of all our activity. The huge worldwide success of the Olympic Games Rio 2016 also means that the Olympic Movement continues to enjoy a sound financial situation. This enables us to distribute more than half a billion dollars over the next four years to the National Olympic Committees,” said Pere Miró, Deputy Director General for Relations with the Olympic Movement and Director of Olympic Solidarity.
Olympic Solidarity will propose 21 programs to NOCs across the world with a high focus on athlete development and education. The 2017-2020 Quadrennial Plan proposes two new programs: Refugee Athlete Support: building on the experience of the Olympic Games Rio 2016, where a Refugee Olympic Team competed for the first time, it was decided to create a dedicated program that would provide NOCs with the opportunity to identify and support a small number of refugee athletes living in their countries to prepare and participate in international competitions. Athletes’ Career Transition: the aim of this program is to offer NOCs assistance to support athletes at various stages of their career through financial and supportive measures with a view to enjoying a successful post-athletic career. NOCs will be offered financial support to fund various Athlete Career Programs (ACPs) and encourage education for athletes.
“All of the Olympic Solidarity programs have been designed to take into account the recommendations of Olympic Agenda 2020, the strategic roadmap for the future of the Olympic Movement and puts athletes at the heart of our activity,”” indicated Pere Miró.
This story first appeared in the blog, The Sport Intern. The editor is Karl-Heinz Huba of Lorsch, Germany. He can be reached at ISMG@aol.com. The article is reprinted here with permission of Huba.