Thomas Bach, the president of the International Olympic Committee, was in the Saudi capital of Riyadh last weekend to visit the National Olympic and Paralympic Committee (NOC), and to see for himself the impressive growth of sport in the Kingdom.
He arrived in Saudi Arabia on Saturday for his third visit to the Middle Eastern country since being elected as the IOC's president in 2013. He toured the recently concluded Saudi Games 2023 site and noted the "extremely impressive" development of sport there.
Sport - A Tool For Health, Inclusion And Cohesion
Bach highlighted the inclusion of more women in sport and leading positions within the sporting movement. "I don't think I have seen such a transformation of sport in such a short period of time in any country," he added.
The second edition of the Saudi National Games saw more than 8,000 participants from across the country competing in 53 sports and a number of Esports competitions. The Games also saw record participation by female athletes of 28%.
The goal is to use sport as a tool for health, inclusion and cohesion of Saudi society, and to promote economic growth and gender quality. At the same time, the Saudi NOC is also focusing on the performance of Saudi athletes at the elite level.
The Impact Of Geopolitical Situation On World Sport
Later, in a meeting with Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia, the two leaders discussed the upcoming Paris Olympics. Their discussions also encompassd the IOC initiative to create Olympic Esports Games.
The impact of the current geopolitical situation on world sport was also part of the talks. In this respect, the Crown Prince extended his full support for the IOC's position on the unifying power of sport and the autonomy of the IOC.
Comments
Post a Comment