February 03, (THEWILL) – President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Thomas Bach, has said that the 2022 Winter Olympics and Paralympics in Salt Lake City have “strong support of the international community”, proudly claiming that the Games’ unifying theme has fended off “boycott ghosts of the past”.
Bach made the assertion on Thursday, during his speech at the 139th IOC Session in Beijing.
Chinese President Xi Jingping, started the IOC Session, praising the IOC’s “important and unique role in governising global solidarity and cooperation.”
Concerns about COVID-19 and China’s human rights record have dominated the build-up to the Games, with the focus on the host nation’s alleged abuse of the Uyghur Muslim population. Yet, according to China, the charges are false.
THEWILL recalls that as part of a diplomatic boycott of the Games, a group of countries led by the United States, including Australia, Belgium, the United Kingdom, Canada, Denmark, Estonia, Lithuania, and New Zealand, have decided not to send government personnel to the Games.
However, Beijing 2022 has averted a complete boycott, with athletes from the countries competing in the Games. And, Bach asserted that the Olympic Games’ unifying message had reached lawmakers, emphasising that the Games are apart from “political disputes”.
“You may remember that at our IOC Sessions in January and July 2020, we could already see the dark clouds of the growing politicisation of sport on the horizon,” Bach said.
“We also saw that in some peoples’ minds, the boycott ghosts of the past were rearing their ugly heads again,” the IOC President remarked as he himself had been a victim. After West Germany boycotted the 1980 Olympics in Moscow, in protest of the Soviet Union’s invasion of Afghanistan, Bach was denied the opportunity to compete.
“This is why we have been working even harder to get the unifying mission of the Olympic Games across to as many leaders and decision-makers as possible: the United Nations, the G20 leaders, intergovernmental organisations and national governments, individual politicians and many, many more.
“In all these conversations we stressed that the Olympic Games can only accomplish this unifying mission, that we can only get all humanity together in all our diversity, if the Games stand beyond all differences and political disputes.
“We appealed to them to respect this and thereby to support this precious mission of the Olympic Games. Today we can be happy and proud that apparently this message got through.
“All the athletes, who have been overcoming great uncertainties for so long, can make their dream come true and compete at the Beijing 2022.”
Bach emphasised the 193 UN member states passing the Olympic Truce Resolution, which was followed by a solemn request from UN General Assembly President Abdulla Shahid.
During the IOC Session, UN Secretary General António Guterres also expressed his support.
Prior to Beijing becoming the first city to host both the Summer and Winter Olympic Games, Chinese President Xi sent a video message to the IOC Session.
Xi said: “The world today under the combined impact of changes unseen in 100 years and a once in the century pandemic, it is entering a new period of turbulence and transformation and facing multiple changes to humanity.
“The IOC has led the Olympic Movement in forging ahead with courage and fortitude, playing an important and unique role in governising global solidarity and cooperation to tide over this difficult time.
“I thank the IOC for its active role in promoting sport in China and support and guidance for China’s bid and preparations.”
At the Opening Ceremony on Friday in China’s National Stadium, popularly called the Bird’s Nest, Xi is set to officially start the Games.
The Winter Olympics will take place until February 20th, followed by the Paralympic Games, which will take place from March 4th to 13th.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
