IOC President says Oceania setting benchmark in solidarity

May 11, 2022
ONOC
IOC President Thomas Bach making his opening remarks at the ONOC XLII Annual General Assembly in Nadi, Fiji. President Bach commended the solidarity of all National Olympic Committees (NOCs) in Oceania. | PHOTO: ONOC

The Oceania Continent is setting the benchmark for solidarity within the Olympic Movement, said Thomas Bach, President of the International Olympic Committee.

PART 3 OF 10 IN THE ONOC 42ND ANNUAL GENERAL ASSEMBLY SERIES

Speaking at the opening of the 42nd Annual General Assembly of the Oceania National Olympic Committees (ONOC) in Nadi, Fiji, President Bach acknowledged the COVID-19 pandemic experience of the Oceania NOCs and how they sustained efforts to keep sport alive, including participation at the TOKYO 2020 Summer Games.  

President Bach acknowledged Oceania NOCs’ ‘experience of very long-term confinements, of very hard travel restrictions’, and of the experience with ‘governments and your societies turning their attention away from sport to other activities’.  

President of the Kiribati National Olympic Committee (KNOC), Nicholas McDermott shared insights on sport and solidarity from Kiribati. | PHOTO: ONOC

Bach added that when looking at challenges faced within the Oceania NOCs, ‘within countries, to keep sport alive, to allow athletes to continue to train, after very harsh restrictions, and at the same time making the solidarity effort to prepare athletes for the Olympic Games in Tokyo, to get them, and to overcome so many obstacles’, he could only express deep gratitude.

More than that, President Bach expressed ‘admiration for each National Olympic Committee, for having overcome obstacles and to have made it possible for athletes to finally live their Olympic dream’.

Special tribute was also paid to weightlifters from Kiribati who ‘still live their Olympic dream and could not return home’, as they remain in training in Nauru.  

President Bach and ONOC leadership at the opening of the XLII Annual General Assembly. | PHOTO: ONOC

President Bach said, ‘This is something that is unique in Olympic history, but it shows commitment to the Olympic Games, to the Olympic Movement, and it is real evidence of success in inspiring athletes with this Olympic spirit that they are making this comeback to be at the Olympic Games’.  

Referring to the full participation of all Oceania NOCs at TOKYO 2020, President Bach expressed gratitude for the solidarity displayed by Oceania as a continent, saying ‘it was an unprecedented challenge, and it needed an unprecedented effort’ to keep dreams and confidence alive in athletes to keep training and then to travel and participate at the Olympics.

Bach also paid tribute to the International Federations (IFs) of all sports for working with their members and network in getting athletes prepared and for completing the Road to Tokyo 2020.

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For more information:

On the Oceania National Olympic Committees
On the Olympic Solidarity
On the Kiribati National Olympic Committee
On the Nauru National Olympic Committee
On the IOC President Thomas Bach

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About ONOC 
Established in 1981, the Oceania National Olympic Committees (ONOC) is one of five Continental Associations. It looks after the interests of 17 member nations in the Oceania Region, including Australia and New Zealand as well as seven associate members. 

ONOC has an office in Guam where Secretary General Mr. Ricardo Blas is based and the Secretariat in Suva, Fiji, where the Office of the President Dr Robin Mitchell is located.

All services and-programmes are based on the ONOC Strategic Plan for 2018-2021, and its 4 Core Functions of (1) Building and Strengthening NOCs Capacity (2) Cultivating Strategic Partnerships (3) Contributing towards Sporting Excellence and (4) Leading by Example.

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For more information, please contact;

Shivneel Narayan
Chief Communications Officer (Acting)
shivneel@oceanianoc.org

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