The President of the International Olympic Committee, Kirsti Kovantry, urged the athletes across Asia to hear their voices to ensure a better future for sport and the Olympic Movement.
“The athletes are the beating heart of the Olympic community.
The Asian Olympic Council is organizing the sixth athletes forum today and tomorrow in Astana, in cooperation with the Olympic Solidarity Program, with the participation of 120 delegates representing 42 Asian Olympic Committees, as well as the presence of many representatives of international sports organizations, led by the International Olympic Committee.
Coventry continued: This forum is a space and an opportunity for you to express your opinions, share your ideas, and cooperate with each other to ensure that your voices are heard on the most important issues for you and your athletes. Since you are athletes, you are not only part of the Olympic society, but you are its beating heart. Joining the athletes committee is not just a title, but a responsibility. You are sitting at the decision -making table, you have your voice and this is influential. This is how real change occurs, and so we can build a stronger future for the Olympic and Olympic movement together.
She added: At the beginning of my presidency of the International Olympic Committee, one of my most important priorities was listening and knowing what is going on in your minds, and listening to what could make our Olympic community stronger, and it was one of my first visits after my election to the attendance of the General Assembly of the Asian Olympic Council in Kuwait, and there I touched your firm commitment to the status of athletes in the first place.
The athletes forum will be held once every two years, and this year is held under the slogan “Empowering Voices, Uniting Asia”, which reflects the commitment of the Asian Olympic Council to put athletes in the heart of the Olympic Movement in Asia.
The Chairman of the Sports Committee of the Olympic Olympic Council, who won three Olympic gold medal in table ball, said in her role in her opening speech: This forum represents an opportunity for us to learn from each other, meditate on challenges and successes in our regions, and contribute to drawing the features of the future of sport in Asia with a focus on athletes. Your presence here shows the strength of the sports community and the strength of sports leadership.
The Deputy Director General of the Asian Olympic Council, Vinod Taiwi, gave the athletes representatives a strong boost, as he revealed the increase in the annual grant of the Projects Fund related to athletes from 3 thousand to 5 thousand dollars starting this year, stressing: It is a simple but important increase and comes directly for your comments.
