Latest news with #InternationalOlympicCommittee
Hindustan Times
an hour ago
- Sport
- Hindustan Times
Bindra to drive IOC's Olympic Day campaign in India
Beijing Olympics gold medallist Abhinav Bindra is set to drive International Olympic Committee's (IOC) 'Let's Move +1' initiative in India for this year's Olympic Day (June 23). A vocal advocate of taking sports to grassroots, Bindra will spearhead IOC's initiative through his Olympic Values Education Programme (OVEP) that touches over 60,000 schools across Odisha, Assam, and Chandigarh. Abhinav Bindra will spearhead IOC's initiative through his Olympic Values Education Programme (OVEP) that touches over 60,000 schools across Odisha, Assam, and Chandigarh (HT) As part of the celebrations, over 50 sports venues across India will open their doors to public for free paired sessions in sports such as football, padel, cricket, badminton and pickleball. 'We want to build a culture for movement and physical activity which will eventually become a culture for sport. As part of OVEP, we have introduced two PE classes in each school that we cover and we hope to see a cultural shift in a few years. It won't happen in a year or two. So far, the response from the parents and teachers have been very encouraging,' Bindra, India's first individual gold medallist at the Olympics, said. A key initiative of Abhinav Bindra Foundation, OVEP has touched about 10 million children by enhancing physical activity, gender inclusivity and educational outcomes. To mark the Olympic Day, the students will participate in activities such as paired yoga, group dance sessions, skipping, football, cricket, volleyball and kho-kho along with Olympic-themed arts and crafts. 'Fitness needs to be a fun activity for kids if we want them to stay invested for a long period of time. Therefore, we have tried to make our activities as engaging, as fun as possible for them.' 'Through OVEP and the inaugural Let's Move campaign, we have witnessed how sport can inspire, uplift and empower the next generation. Let's Move + 1 carries this spirit forward, reminding us that sport is not just about physical strength, it is about fostering connection, mutual support and a shared sense of purpose,' Bindra added. Launched in 2023 in collaboration with World Health Organisation, Let's Move campaign has already engaged over 20 million people in India.
San Francisco Chronicle
6 hours ago
- Business
- San Francisco Chronicle
Olympic leader Bach got 10% raise in 2024 payment that trails far behind soccer's elected leaders
GENEVA (AP) — The International Olympic Committee paid its president Thomas Bach $350,000 in 2024, the Olympic body said Friday — a 10% raise for his final full year in office after a two-year freeze. The payment, or 'indemnity' in Olympic language, revealed in its annual report is small compared to soccer bodies that, like the IOC, are based in Switzerland and count annual revenue in billions. Bach on Monday will formally hand over to President-elect Kirsty Coventry, who will start an eight-year initial term as the Olympic body's first female leader and first from Africa. The IOC has classed the 71-year-old Bach as a volunteer on a full-time executive mission who 'should not have to finance activities related to his function from his personal savings.' Bach, who also gets living allowances, was paid from 12% to 15% what soccer gives its top elected officials. FIFA paid its president Gianni Infantino $5.2 million in taxable salary and bonus last year, plus other expenses. Infantino also is among the 109 IOC members and so can claim $7,000 each year for office costs and $450 daily allowance when on Olympic business. The two-time Olympic champion in swimming left her job as sports minister of Zimbabwe after winning the seven-candidate IOC election in March. Bach's annual payment has been decided by the IOC's ethics commission on the stated principle 'the president should not financially benefit from his position.' The German lawyer held a series of business consultancies and board of director seats before being elected in 2013 to lead the IOC. The IOC paid Bach 225,000 euros ($259,000) in 2020. It rose to 275,000 euros ($317,000) in the year of his re-election, 2021, then was frozen for each of the next two years. ___
Time of India
a day ago
- Sport
- Time of India
Civic chief, team to meet IOC officials
Ahmedabad: To initiate the bidding process to host the 2036 Summer Olympics and Paralympics, city municipal commissioner Banchha Nidhi Pani and other officials will visit Switzerland from June 28 to July 5 to meet International Olympic Committee (IOC) officials. The proposal for this visit was presented for approval at the standing committee meeting held on Wednesday. The proposal stated that the visit was part of preliminary preparations for India's bid to host the Games. A state minister and senior state govt officials will also be part of the delegation. Preparations are on central and state govts to host the 2036 Olympics in Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar. Construction of the Sardar Patel Sports Enclave will take place at Motera. Additionally, a master plan is being prepared by selecting land around this enclave.
New Indian Express
a day ago
- Sport
- New Indian Express
Collaborate, 'Pause and Reflect', IOC president elect Kirsty Coventry's way forward
CHENNAI: Mother. Wife. Friend. Former multiple Olympic champion and now next International Olympic Committee (IOC) president... Kirsty Coventry is all of that and a lot more. She is just days away from taking charge as the most powerful person in the world of sport. When she takes the reins from Thomas Bach on June 23, she will shatter several glass ceilings as well. She will be the first woman IOC president, first from Africa, the youngest and one of the most decorated sportspersons to hold top office. This is just the beginning of an era. By the time her term ends, she would be hoping to leave a legacy that will not only withstand the ravages of time. The last three months since her election in March had days of briefing and debriefing, and in swimming parlance "a deep dive or a deeper dive into all the information in and around the IOC". "Bach has been very good in sharing all of his knowledge and expertise and background on all the various topics which has been extremely helpful," she said during an online roundtable with select media. Bach is one of her biggest supports. During the close to one-hour online interaction, Coventry has given a glimpse of her vision and the way she has envisioned to run the IOC. Collaborate and listen is what she said. And how it will be like the Ubuntu, the philosophy of Africa. "I like to collaborate. I like to be able to listen. I like to be able to hear everyone's opinions. I think it's very important. It's something that we saw when I was the athlete chairperson of the IOC. When we open things up, and open platforms for athletes to share with us what they were thinking and feeling. We had open dialogue and open conversation. It really went a long way at the end of the day. I also know that I'm the IOC president, and I need to make the decisions, and we need to move. But I truly believe that you get more collective if everyone feels that they've at least had a say… at the end of the day we have been driven by the same purpose of delivering incredible games and inspiring the next generation." There were some profound words from Coventry and this topped them all. "I would say that there's never a dream too big. There's always a way to achieve something, and don't ever let someone talk you out of having that dream of what could happen and what it could be and what things could look like. It's really powerful." The IOC president-elect felt that not just her background as an Olympic athlete but as a mother of two young children too would help her drive the very tenet of Olympism. She felt the children would play a role in defining her tenure as well. "They are a daily reminder that we have a big responsibility to ensure that sport remains relevant and that the Olympic Games remains relevant. Listening to them and watching them. And I'm sure and I know a few people on the call have young kids as well, and you have all been parents. So you've gotten to see the sports that your children find fascinating and find exciting. I think those are the things that we have to be able to look at and acknowledge and have an appreciation for, and those are going to be again opportunities for me that I hope will help to carve a pathway through my presidency…" The 41-year-old also announced that she has called for two-day workshop after the handover ceremony. "I have invited the IOC members to stay two extra days to have a "Pause and Reflect" workshop with them so that I can really hear what is on their mind and what they see as our opportunities and what they may see as our challenges as we move into the future and come up with different ideas." Coventry takes strength from her Zimbabwe background as well. "That's where I see one of my strengths coming from Zimbabwe, a much smaller National Olympic Committee, a developing country. The challenges that countries like mine go through, their athletes go through. And how do we close that gap? How are we going to be able to really ensure that athletes from all walks of life have, if not the same opportunities, equal opportunities to get access to sport. There's a lot of expectations. This is where I think us engaging as a movement, looking at our programmes and how we deliver them; the use of technology. How can that really broaden the scope and impact… that it can really reach far places. Those are really going to be important assets and facets for me to follow through in my presidency." Moving on "I feel like I am right in the middle of bridging both age gaps so very much want to tap into both sides, and all of the members have incredible backgrounds, incredible ideas. We need to ensure that we are using all of that to the best of our ability to strengthen our movement. I'm not someone, and I never have been. I think even my competitors, when I was swimming, can tell you that once the competition was over we were friends, and we moved forward. We had that mutual respect for each other. I hope that that will be the case in our movement in terms of what we will be doing again on the 24th and 25. To give you guys a little bit of insight. We have a workshop where the members will be in five different groups. One of the leads of the groups is a candidate, and was a candidate, and had some very strong opinions on this specific topic. So again it's important for me that everyone is engaged. Everyone feels that they have a seat at the table, and can really share their ideas and their thoughts. "And then it's about us collectively coming together and deciding what we feel is going to be the best for the future of the movement. And again, for me, I will obviously always be looking at it as how does it impact all of the stakeholders. And how are we going to reach those 9 and 10-year-olds around the world to ensure that the movement remains relevant for them?"
The Star
a day ago
- Politics
- The Star
Olympics-I will lead through collaboration, says new IOC President Coventry
FILE PHOTO: Olympics - 144th IOC Session - Costa Navarino, Pylos, Greece - March 20, 2025 Kirsty Coventry during the press conference after she was elected as the new president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) REUTERS/Louisa Gouliamaki/File Photo BERLIN (Reuters) -Kirsty Coventry, the newly elected president of the International Olympic Committee, emphasised collaboration with stakeholders as a key priority for her tenure, in remarks made on Thursday ahead of her official takeover next week. Coventry, a former Olympic swimming champion from Zimbabwe and Africa's most decorated Olympian, was elected to the post in March, succeeding Thomas Bach. She will formally assume the role following Monday's handover ceremony in Lausanne. "I like to collaborate, to be able to listen, hear everyone's opinions. I think it is very important," Coventry said during an online media roundtable. "I also know I am the president and need to take decisions and that we need to move." Coventry, 41, is the first woman and the first African to lead the IOC. Her approach is expected to differ from her predecessor's, as Bach was known for the rapid speed and volume of his decision-making and concentration of power. Bach's presidency was marked by wide-ranging reforms, including overhauling the Olympic bidding process, introducing new sports and reducing costs for host cities. He also navigated challenges such as the COVID-19 pandemic, which delayed the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and led to a spectator-free Beijing 2022 Winter Games. Coventry said the IOC would hold a two-day workshop for its members, starting on June 24, the day after the handover ceremony, as part of ongoing discussions with stakeholders on key issues. "It was not about title or power," she said when asked about her decision to run for president. "Sometimes those things get in the way and make you focus on the wrong things." Reflecting on her appointment, Coventry acknowledged the significance of her role as the first woman to lead the IOC. "It is not something I have thought about a lot in terms of impact it can have," she said. "In the past days now, I have a much greater understanding of that importance." The IOC generates annual revenues of several billion dollars and Coventry noted the "responsibility" that comes with leading the organisation. "As we get closer to the 23rd, yes, it is an exciting day but a day with a lot of responsibility. I am very proud of the fact that we as members chose at this moment in time to elect the first female president," she added. (Reporting by Karolos GrohmannEditing by Toby Davis)
