Olympic Movement post-coronavirus webinar proposes 3 initiatives, attracts 500 followers

DUBAI, 26th July, 2020 (WAM) -- The National Olympic Committee, NOC, has unveiled three initiatives for the next Olympic period, following a webinar held to examine the national and international Olympic movement during the post-coronavirus future.

Initiatives launched during the event, which was remotely organised by the NOC and attended by 500 participants from sports and media organisations, were focused on the launch of the University Olympics, Olympic heritage and Foreign Communities Olympics.

The University Olympics is the first Olympic Games to be held among the universities in the United Arab Emirates. The second initiative relates to the Olympic legacy, and includes strengthening the Olympic legacy of the UAE, in coordination with various sports bodies. It covers developing the economies of Olympic sports, coordinating with stakeholders to boost the infrastructure of the Olympic Movement, and inculcating the principles of the Olympic Movement among community members.

The Community Olympics initiative echoes the UAE’s vision of promoting integration and harmony among all members of the UAE society, and applying the principles of the International Olympic Charter in a non-discriminatory manner in sports.

These initiatives were introduced during the Webinar, which was opened by Mohammed Ben Sulayem, Secretary-General of the NOC, and a host of speakers and participants, including officials and stakeholders of the national Olympic Movement. He conveyed the greetings of H.H. Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, President of the National Olympic Committee, noting that His Highness keeps in high regards the value of cooperation in developing the sports sector in the UAE.

In the opening speech, Ben Sulayem said, "The National Olympic Committee aims to keep pace with global events by building an organisational structure that tackles challenges facing the Olympic movement in the training and qualification of sports cadres."

He put forward a set of programmes related to the Olympic Movement, as well as initiatives to promote the culture of sports practices and broaden participation in sports throughout the UAE.

"Since February 2020, the National Olympic Committee worked on the formation of the UAE Sports Arbitration Centre, and developed a master plan for the UAE Olympic Library, comprising thousands of books and international references related to sports and the Olympic movement, rendering it the largest scientific edifice for NOCs in the Middle East," noted Ben Sulayem.

He also said that his organisation’s taking over the NOC’s building is nearing completion, which would reduce expenditures on lease contracts by the Sports Federations. He went on to say that the strategic document of the National Olympic Academy had been updated, in line with the principles of the International Olympic Movement and the directions of the International Olympic Academy.