Sports Bulletin

Sports Bulletin Report BEIJING:-The athletes at the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022 have elected Martin Fourcade (FRA) and  Frida Hansdotter (SWE) to the International Olympic Committee (IOC)’s Athletes’ Commission (AC), for a term ending at the Olympic Winter Games 2030. The newly elected members will join the Commission to represent the athlete voice within the Olympic Movement. ?Between 27 January and 16 February, 2,307 athletes voted in the IOC AC election at the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022, representing a participation rate of 80.50 per cent. Athletes had the opportunity to vote at the Athlete365 Spaces in the three Olympic Villages in Beijing, Yanqing and Zhangjiakou. In total, 16 candidates, representing 16 National Olympic Committees (NOCs), all five continents and six winter sports, stood for election. This was a record for the Olympic Winter Games. The newly elected members will join the IOC AC at the end of Beijing 2022 for a term of eight years, and will be proposed for election as IOC Members at the IOC Session in Beijing on 19 February. IOC AC Chair Emma Terho remarked: “We had a record number of candidates from a diverse range of countries and sports, and I want to thank all the candidates for showing their interest in representing the athletes of the world. We were also delighted to see the high turnout of athletes participating and sharing their voice in the IOC Athletes’ Commission election. “Congratulations and welcome to the two new members who are joining the IOC Athletes’ Commission at an exciting time, just six months after the election of four members in Tokyo. We have an extremely motived Commission full of energy and enthusiasm. I am excited about the collective opportunity we have to represent athletes’ interests and build on the great work done by the Commission over the years.” The new members Martin Fourcade, Biathlon, France Frida Hansdotter, Skiing, Sweden Outgoing members IOC AC member Hayley Wickenheiser (CAN), who was elected by her peers during the Olympic Winter Games Sochi 2014, has completed her term on the Commission, and a seat had also been left vacant following the resignation of Ole Einar Bjørndalen (NOR) in 2016. The IOC AC members will elect their Chair and Vice-Chairs on 18 February 2022, with the Chair holding a position as a full member of the IOC Executive Board, representing athletes at the highest level within the IOC.

Sports Bulletin Report ISLAMABAD:-The President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Thomas Bach and World Health Organisation (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus met during the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022 to discuss ways to further strengthen collaboration between their two organisations. The meeting took place after the WHO Director-General ran with the Olympic torch on the day of the Opening Ceremony, and said: “The Olympics are about, hope, solidarity, unity and peace. Especially hope to end this pandemic. I hope we will achieve the 70 per cent vaccination in each and every country around the world by mid this year, and hope the acute phase of the pandemic will be over, so that people will come together like always.” During the meeting, the IOC President reaffirmed the IOC’s support for this desire of WHO: “We have been given a way forward with a safe and effective vaccine that can help save precious lives,” Bach said. “Let us all join hands in giving free and equal access to the vaccine for everybody across the world to pledge our collective responsibility to protect those who are the most vulnerable, because everyone on this planet has a right to live a healthy life. We are stronger together when we stand in solidarity and care for each other.” The IOC and WHO formalised their collaboration to promote public health with a Memorandum of Understanding in 1984. The partnership has grown since then, resulting in a series of projects promoting grassroots sport and healthy lifestyles for all, and leveraging WHO expertise in health emergencies, mass gatherings and water quality in the context of the Olympic Games. The two organisations signed a new Cooperative Agreement in 2020 to strengthen and expand on these dimensions. On Olympic Day in June 2020, the IOC, WHO and the United Nations (UN) joined forces against the pandemic with the help of athletes. The “Healthy Together” partnership co-signed by the UN was built on the need for collective action to reduce the spread and COVID-19. The IOC helped to further bring that commitment to life last month by releasing a video that uses the persuasive power of athletes to encourage vaccination. More than 20 Olympians and Paralympians called on world leaders and decision-makers to ensure free and equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines, and widely shared the video on social media. WHO experts were also involved in developing the COVID-19 countermeasures that were successfully applied last summer at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, an event that became a template for other large-scale events. The global health agency worked with the IOC again during the preparations for Beijing 2022 in the challenging context of the more transmissible Omicron variant. The COVID-19 pandemic has shown how crucial sport and physical activity are for physical and mental health. The IOC has been regularly calling on the world’s governments to include sport in their post-crisis support programmes, because of the important role of sport in the prevention and recovery phases. The IOC President and the WHO Director-General also discussed a range of other mutual projects and closer collaboration on sport for health for future Games, starting in Paris 2024, to address emerging issues such as the prevalence of non-communicable diseases, which are often closely linked to unhealthy lifestyles and a lack of physical activity. WHO estimates that non-communicable diseases kill 41 million people annually and account for 71 per cent of all deaths around the world.

Sports Bulletin Report ISLAMABAD:-The biggest spectacle of all Olympic Games, Summer or Winter, is the Opening Ceremony. On Friday, Beijing’s National Stadium became the first venue to host the event at both a Summer and Winter Olympics, having previously done the same in 2008. Designed by Swiss architects Herzog & de Meuron, the stadium is colloquially known as the Bird’s Nest due to its exterior appearance. It is also just a stone’s throw from the National Indoor Stadium, which is one of two ice hockey venues for these Games and will host the men’s gold medal game on the final Sunday, 16 days from now, just prior to the Closing Ceremony. As was the case in 2008, the Opening Ceremony of the 2022 Winter Olympics was directed by renowned Chinese film director Zhang Yimou. It began with a pre-show titled “Together for a Shared Future”, which is also the slogan for these Games. That was followed by a video message from the Secretary General of the United Nations Antonio Guterres, and then the introductions of Xi Jinping, President of the Peoples’ Republic of China and Thomas Bach, President of the International Olympic Committee, the raising of the national flag of the host nation and the playing of its national anthem. As the name suggests, the Opening Ceremony is the ceremonial opening of the Games, although in practice, many events start before. This year, women’s ice hockey began on Thursday with four games, followed by two more on Friday afternoon. A staple of the Opening Ceremony is the Parade of Athletes, which were initiated here in Beijing by six hockey players in glowing costumes passing and firing a video-mapped puck at the entrance tunnel, with appropriate hockey-rink sound effects. A total of 91 countries are participating in these Games, starting as always with Greece, the home of the ancient Olympics, and finishing with the host country, China. Size of national delegations ranged from the 222 athletes from the United States to 18 nations that have each sent only one. Of those 91 nations, 13 contain teams of hockey players – nine both men’s and women’s teams, three with only men’s teams and one – Japan – with just a women’s. Of the 13, one is sending hockey players for the first time and that’s Denmark, whose men’s and women’s teams each qualified for the first time. All nations were led around the field level of the Bird’s Nest by two flag-bearers, provided they had both male and female athletes present. Amazingly, of the 13 hockey nations involved, a record nine chose hockey players as flag bearers – six men and three women. Among them were Lauris Darzins (Latvia), Valtteri Filppula (Finland), Alena Mills (Czechia), Frans Nielsen (Denmark), Marie-Philip Poulin (Canada), Emma Nordin (Sweden), Andres Ambuhl (Switzerland), Vadim Shipachyov (ROC) and Marek Hrivik (Slovakia). After the Parade, the athletes took their seats in the stadium and were treated to various artistic presentations with themes of winter, sports and peace. As local time approached 22:00 and the early February temperature dipped lower, President Xi declared the Games open and six Chinese former Olympic and world champions of various winter sports presented the Olympic flag to be raised next to the Chinese one. Finally, seven more Chinese athletes born in six different decades acted as the final torchbearers, lighting the Olympic cauldron a short distance from the stadium. With the Opening Ceremony finished and the Games officially on, most of the women’s hockey players who were in attendance will be back in action on Saturday, with four games scheduled. (Thanks to Derek O'Brien)

Sports Bulletin Report ISLAMABAD:-The Initial Sports Programme of the Olympic Games Los Angeles 2028  will be composed of 28 sports, including skateboarding, sport climbing and surfing, with a strong focus on youth. It was approved by the 139th Session of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in Beijing. Names of approved games: World Athletics, World Rowing (FISA), Badminton World Federation (BWF), International Basketball Federation (FIBA), International Canoe Federation (ICF), Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI), International Equestrian Federation (FEI), International Fencing Federation (FIE), Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), International Golf Federation (IGF), International Gymnastics Federation (FIG), International Handball Federation (IHF), International Hockey Federation (FIH), International Judo Federation (IJF), United World Wrestling (UWW), International Swimming Federation (FINA), World Rugby, World Taekwondo (WT), International Tennis Federation (ITF), International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF), International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF), World Archery Federation (WA), World Triathlon (TRI), World Sailing (WS), International Volleyball Federation (FIVB), International Surfing Association (ISA), World Skate (WSK), International Federation of Sport Climbing (IFSC). The possibility for LA28 to propose additional sports in 2023 A process for finalising the disciplines in each sport to provide early certainty to athletes, National Olympic Committees (NOCs), IFs and the Organising Committee for the Olympic Games (OCOG). The IOC and the LA28 Organising Committee renewed their joint commitment to prioritising a reduction in the cost and complexity of hosting the Games, including a review of each sport’s disciplines, which will be finalised prior to the IOC Session in 2023, in consultation with LA28 and the IFs. Boxing, weightlifting and modern pentathlon Boxing, weightlifting and modern pentathlon may potentially be included in the LA28 Initial Sports Programme by the IOC Session in 2023 if by then the respective IFs have demonstrated to the IOC’s satisfaction that they have satisfactorily addressed the areas specified by the EB on 9 December 2021. This timeline will provide the IBA, the IWF and the UIPM with the additional time needed to effectively implement the critical reforms that have been announced by the respective IFs, and allow further consideration by the IOC EB.

Sports Desk ISLAMABAD:-The Olympic Truce Murals at the Olympic Villages of the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games Beijing 2022 were inaugurated during a ceremony at the Flag Mall of the Beijing Olympic Village. Participating athletes and officials are invited to show their commitment to building a peaceful world through sport by signing the Mural. Placed at the heart of all Olympic Villages since the Olympic Winter Games Turin 2006, the Olympic Truce Mural is a strong symbol of the power of sport to bring the world together in peaceful competition and create opportunities for dialogue and reconciliation. The concept of the Beijing 2022 Olympic Truce Mural, named “Light of Peace”, is inspired by traditional Chinese lanterns symbolising light, peace and reunion. On the symbolic date of the Chinese New Year, the inauguration of the Mural took place during a ceremony attended by IOC President Thomas Bach and Beijing 2022 Vice-President Yang Shu’an, along with the IOC Vice-Presidents, members of the IOC Athletes’ Commission, and representatives of Beijing 2022 and the Beijing Olympic Village. The two leaders were the first to sign the Mural. “It is a truly auspicious moment to inaugurate the Olympic Truce Mural today on Chinese New Year,” said the IOC President in his speech. Addressing the winter sports athletes who are competing at Beijing 2022, President Bach acknowledged them as ambassadors to promote peace and human understanding: “Over the coming days, you will compete fiercely against one another. At the same time, you will be living together peacefully and respectfully under one roof, in the Olympic Village. In this way, you will show us what the world can look like if we all respect the same rules and each other. This is the true Olympic spirit. This is the message of the Olympic Games: bringing the world together in peaceful competition. In this Olympic spirit, I invite you to leave your signature on the Olympic Truce Mural to show your commitment to this mission of peace of the Olympic Games.” The IOC President also addressed political leaders by saying: “Today, we call on all political leaders around the world to observe their commitment to this Olympic Truce.” Beijing 2022 Vice-President Yang added: “Setting up the Olympic Truce Mural and encouraging all ‘villagers’ to express their wish for peace by signing is the best implementation of the United Nations [UN] Olympic Truce Resolution. “I hope the ‘Light of Peace’ will bring the warmth of home to everyone in the cold winter, light up new hopes and convey our good wishes of pursuing peace, enhancing mutual understanding and working together for a shared future.” The Olympic Truce for Beijing 2022 was established in the UN resolution entitled “Building a peaceful and better world through sport and the Olympic ideal”, which was adopted by consensus at the 76th Session of the UN General Assembly in New York on 2 December 2021. It was co-sponsored by 173 UN Member States, demonstrating the widespread support and recognition by the international community of the power of sport and the relevance of the Olympic Winter Games to bring the world together in peaceful competition, providing hope for a better future. The resolution calls for the Olympic Truce to be respected from seven days before the start of the Olympic Winter Games, which open on 4 February 2022, until seven days after the Paralympic Winter Games, which close on 13 March 2022. On 28 January, to mark the start of the Olympic Truce, UN Secretary-General António Guterres sent a message to “call on everyone to observe the Olympic Truce during the 2022 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games”. The tradition of the Olympic Truce, or “Ekecheiria", dates back to the 9th century BC in Ancient Greece as a period during which war and conflict ceased to allow for safe travel to and from the ancient Olympic Games.

Sports Bulletin ISLAMABAD:-The President of the UN General Assembly, Abdulla Shahid, made a solemn appeal to the UN Member States for the observance of the Olympic Truce for the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022, following the resolution adopted in December. The resolution calls for the Olympic Truce to be respected from 27 January to 20 March 2022 -– seven days before the start of the Olympic Winter Games until seven days after the Paralympic Games. Today’s solemn appeal is another demonstration of the support for the political neutrality of the Olympic Games and the International Olympic Committee, reiterating the message of the Olympic Truce resolution through which all Member States were called upon “to cooperate with the International Olympic Committee and the International Paralympic Committee in their efforts to use sport as a tool to promote peace, dialogue and reconciliation in areas of conflict during and beyond the period of the Olympic and Paralympic Games”. “The Olympic Movement aspires to contribute to a peaceful future for all humankind through the educational value of sport, in particular youth,” said Shahid in the appeal. “The Games will bring together athletes from all parts of the world in the greatest of international sports events as a means to promote peace, mutual understanding and goodwill among nations and peoples – goals that are also part of the founding values of the United Nations”. Shahid welcomed “the leadership of Olympic and Paralympic athletes in promoting peace and human understanding through sport and the Olympic ideal, and the commitment made by various Member States of the United Nations to developing national and international programmes that promote peace and conflict resolution and the Olympic and Paralympic values through sport, and through culture, education and sustainable development.” He went on: “As President of the General Assembly at its 76th session, I solemnly appeal to all Member States to demonstrate their commitment to the Olympic Truce for the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games Beijing 2022 and to undertake concrete actions at the local, national, regional and world levels to promote and strengthen a culture of peace and harmony based on the spirit of the Truce. Referring to the original tradition of the Olympic Truce practised in ancient times, as described in resolution 76/13, I also call upon all warring parties of current armed conflicts around the world to boldly agree to true mutual ceasefires for the duration of the Olympic Truce, thus providing an opportunity to settle disputes peacefully.”

Sports Bulletin ISLAMABAD:-A new report, published by the International Academy for Sports Science and Technology  (AISTS), demonstrates the increasing positive impact that the presence of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and International Sports Organisations has on the local and wider Swiss economy. The study, conducted by AISTS with the endorsement of the City of Lausanne, the Canton of Vaud and the IOC, covers the period from 2014 to 2019. It is the third study in the series. The first was based on data from 2004 to 2007, while the second covered the period from 2008 to 2013, and was released in 2015. Overall, the current study, which consolidates data from 53 International Sports Organisations that had a physical presence in Switzerland during the years 2014 to 2019, shows that the value created by these organisations corresponds to an increased growth in their economic impact of 57 per cent for the whole of Switzerland, compared to the previous period of 2008 to 2013. Key findings of the study include: The yearly average economic impact created by these organisations was CHF 1.68 billion for Switzerland, compared to CHF 1.07 billion for the 2008-2013 period The yearly average economic impact created by these organisations was CHF 0.87 billion for the Canton of Vaud, compared to CHF 0.55 billion for the 2008-2013 period The yearly average economic impact created by these organisations was CHF 0.55 billion for the Lausanne Region, compared to CHF 0.25 billion for the 2008-2013 period In 2019, the 53 International Sports Organisations in Switzerland employed 3,343 people, an increase from 2,249 in 2014 More than 75 per cent of these employees worked for the IOC or organisations financially supported by the IOC Among these employees, 1,836 lived in the Canton of Vaud The number of residents of the Lausanne Region employed in the International Sports Organisations increased from 806 to 996 during the 2014 to 2019 period, representing an increase of 24 per cent from the previous period The additional impact in this period has been generated by an increase in the annual average spending in Switzerland by these organisations and their visitors which was CH 1.10 billion in the period studied, compared to an average annual spending of CHF 0.70 billion between 2008 and 2013. This economic impact is shown to have a positive effect on employment, business tourism and the construction sector. Over the 2014-2019 period, International Sports Organisations in Switzerland between them spent CHF 292 million on construction and renovation projects. One of these was the construction of Olympic House, one of the most sustainable buildings of the world. The study reveals that most of the costs of these construction and renovation projects were incurred in Switzerland, through local contractors, giving rise to substantial added value and an important overall economic impact. In the case of Olympic House, 80 per cent of construction costs were spent with local contractors. The analysis shows that over the six years, the overall economic impact on the construction sector of spending by International Sports Organisations amounted to about CHF 534 million. The Canton of Vaud, including the Lausanne Region, benefited from 53 per cent of this impact, while the rest of the Swiss economy benefited from the remaining 47 per cent of this impact. Commenting on the findings of this report, IOC President Thomas Bach, said: “We congratulate the research team and welcome this report and its positive conclusions. The IOC is proud to have contributed to the significant 57 per cent growth in economic impact generated for Switzerland since the last study period. The contribution has resulted, among other things, from employment opportunities and, of course, from the construction of Olympic House, the permanent home of the Olympic Movement. Eighty per cent of construction costs were spent with local contractors. As one of the most sustainable buildings in the world, it represents an important long-term investment in the future of the Olympic Movement.” President Bach continued: “We are delighted to be able to give back to the city, region and country that host the IOC and so many International Sports Organisations, and with which we enjoy a special relationship, by generating an economic impact that goes well beyond the sporting sector. As the leader of the Olympic Movement, the IOC redistributes 90 per cent of its revenues to support the development of athletes and sports organisations around the world, including in Switzerland. This study shows that our contribution goes even further.” The full version of The Economic Impact of International Sports Organisations in Switzerland – 2014-2019, is available here. In addition to the detailed findings and tables, it includes a full account of the research methodology, the literature consulted, and the independent academic experts who provided guidance on the methodology applied.

Islamabad (Sports Desk):-International Olympic Committee (IOC) , athletes are calling on world leaders and decision-makers to ensure free and equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines. The call comes a few weeks before the start of the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022, which will take place from 4 to 20 February. These include Olympic champions Federica Pellegrini (swimming, Italy) and Seung-min Ryu (table tennis, South Korea), three-time Olympic medallist Pau Gasol (basketball, Spain), two-time Olympic medallist Maja Martyna W?oszczowska (cycling, Poland), and Humphrey Kayange  (rugby, Kenya),who are all members of the IOC Athletes’ Commission. Many other Olympic and Paralympic champions are also included: Olympic champions Valerie Adams (athletics, New Zealand), Alistair Brownlee (triathlon, UK), Osea Kolinisau (rugby, Fiji), Gianmarco Tamberi (athletics, Italy) and IOC President Thomas Bach (fencing); Paralympic champions Martina Caironi (athletics, Italy), Ellie Cole (swimming, Australia), Jakub Krako (Alpine skiing, Slovakia), Tatyana McFadden (athletics, Nordic skiing, USA), Jitske Visser (wheelchair basketball, The Netherlands) and Annika Zeyen (cycling, Germany). Other athletes featured are: Olympic medallists Danka Bartekova (shooting, Slovakia), PV Sindhu (badminton, India) and Luiza Zlotkowska (speed skating, Poland); Olympians Gaby Ahrens (shooting, Namibia), Jonathan Borlée (athletics, Belgium), Uche Eke (gymnastic, Nigeria), Ann-Christin Goliaß (sailing, Germany), Alex Hua Tian (equestrian, China), Niluka Karunaratne (badminton, Sri Lanka), Silvia Mittermüller (snowboarding, Germany), Alexi Pappas (athletics, Greece), Akiko Thomson (swimming, Philippines) and Gabriela Trana (athletics, Costa Rica). In their message, the athletes stress the importance of staying united to continue to fight the pandemic effectively: “As athletes, we can bring the world together through the power of sport. Now, more than ever, we stand united to use that power of sport and the Olympic and Paralympic Movement to help win the battle against COVID because we go faster, we aim higher, we are stronger when we stand together”. They continue: “We have been given a way forward with a safe and effective vaccine that can help save precious lives and protect our friends… and our families. So we call on governments, foundations, philanthropists, health organisations and social businesses to join hands in giving free and equal access to the vaccine for everybody across the world to pledge our collective responsibility to protect those who are the most vulnerable, because everyone on this planet has a right to live a healthy life. We are stronger together when we stand in solidarity and care for each other.” Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization, has been joined by world leaders in calling for 70 per cent of the populations of all countries to be vaccinated by the start of July 2022, in order to end the acute phase of the pandemic. During the IOC Session in Tokyo last year, he told the IOC Members: “The Olympic Games bring nations of the world together in competition as athlete strive to fulfil the Olympic motto of ‘higher, faster, stronger – together’. The motto applies equally to our struggle against the defining challenge of our time: we must be faster in distributing vaccines all over the world; we must aim higher in vaccinating 70 per cent of all the population of all countries by the middle of 2022; we must be stronger in removing every barrier that stands in our way to expedite production; and we must do it all together, in solidarity.” The IOC and WHO have a Memorandum of Understanding in place in order to advocate healthy lifestyles. Already in 2020, the IOC had supported the initiative of Noble Peace Laureate Prof. Muhammad Yunus to make the COVID-19 vaccines a Global Common Good. President Bach said at the time: “I believe in making the COVID-19 vaccines a Global Common Good because if there is one lesson that I hope we all have learned from this global coronavirus pandemic, it is: we need more solidarity. Solidarity within societies and solidarity among societies. Distributing vaccines as a Global Common Good to everyone around the planet will be a great sign of solidarity for all humankind and demonstrate that we are always stronger together.” Vaccines form one of the main principles of hosting safe Olympic and Paralympic Games, as demonstrated during the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 last summer. They will also form a key part of the COVID-19 countermeasures for the upcoming Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games Beijing 2022, as outlined in the Playbooks. The IOC and the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) worked closely with the National Olympic Committees (NOCs) and National Paralympic Committees (NPCs) to assist their athletes, officials and Games stakeholders residing in their territories to get vaccinated before the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, and are doing so again now before the participants travel to China in a few weeks. The IOC has been reiterating the importance of vaccination and encouraged the athletes and Games participants to take the vaccine whenever possible in order to protect not only themselves, but also their communities.

Sports Bulletin Islamabad:-The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is deeply saddened to learn of the death of its long-time Director General, François Carrard, at the age of 83. Carrard led the IOC administration from 1989 until 2003, and served IOC Presidents Juan Antonio Samaranch and Jacques Rogge during his 14-year term. A Doctor of Law from the University of Lausanne, François Carrard spent two years at a law firm in Stockholm before being admitted to the Bar in 1967, when he joined the firm of Carrard & Associés. He specialised in sports law before becoming the IOC’s Director General. Carrard developed the IOC administration during his time as Director General and made it fit for purpose. With his legal background, he played a crucial role supporting the IOC in driving its fundamental reforms in 1999 and 2000. Mr Carrard also played a key role in the setting-up of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and the introduction of the first World Anti-Doping Code. In addition, he was heavily involved in revamping the Olympic Charter and in the IOC Commission on Apartheid and Olympism. Mr Carrard acted as an outstanding communicator for the IOC after being appointed spokesperson for the IOC Executive Board (EB) under President Samaranch. Carrard led the IOC through seven editions of the Olympic Games and Olympic Winter Games, from Albertville 1992 until Salt Lake City 2002. “François Carrard was a brilliant man with immense analytic skills and a very wide horizon. President Samaranch and the entire Olympic Movement could always rely on his invaluable advice. He was not only a man of law and sport, but also a great man of culture,” IOC President Bach said. “I got to know François Carrard in my early days as an IOC Member. He was always a great guide and trustful advisor, and became a personal friend. This is why I am so grateful that the entire Olympic Movement and I could count on him until his very last days.”

Islamabad (Sports Desk):-With just 30 days to go until the Opening Ceremony of the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022 , the IOC held a series of the traditional consultation calls with athlete representatives from around the world, the National Olympic Committees and the International Olympic Winter Sports Federations. They were also joined by the Beijing 2022 Organising Committee. As Games participants start to arrive in the Chinese capital, everything is on track to stage safe Olympic Winter Games for all participants and the Chinese people, reported Juan Antonio Samaranch, Chair of the IOC Coordination Commission for Beijing 2022. An update on the positive status of the preparations was also given to stakeholders by IOC Olympic Games Executive Director Christophe Dubi and Olympic Games Operations Director Pierre Ducrey who, with their team, had just landed in Beijing today. Christophe Dubi emphasised that the closed-loop management system has begun operating, and the arrivals procedures have worked very smoothly. He also explained that test events have been held successfully, and learnings from these test events have been incorporated into Games planning to ensure excellent conditions for the athletes to perform at the highest level. It was stressed that now is a critical time for all Games participants who will travel to Beijing to be extra vigilant. They should already follow the measures laid out in the Beijing 2022 Playbooks, before their departure to Beijing. IOC President Thomas Bach said: “Beijing starts now for all of us. We must do everything to ensure that the Olympic dreams of athletes are not taken away just days before departure. The Playbooks are not just a rule book – they should now be a way of life”. During the calls, some of the Playbook rules were addressed again. The IOC Medical and Scientific Director, Dr Richard Budgett, emphasised that athletes and Games participants with an essential role can continue participating at the Olympic Games, even if they are defined as a close contact to a person who has tested positive for COVID-19. A special regime for close contacts is in place for such cases, including testing twice a day and special arrangements for travel and dining. For example, conditions are in place to ensure the quality of meals, and athletes will also be able to draw on mental health support at all times. Athletes and Games participants who test positive for COVID-19 and are asymptomatic will be discharged from quarantine once they have two consecutive negative COVID-19 (PCR) test results with at least 24 hours between the two samples and no other COVID-19 symptoms. They will then be released into the close-contact management system, i.e. tested twice per day, but allowed as a close contact to carry on their essential activities related to the Games without being isolated. For athletes, that means they would be able to continue training and competing. Each situation will be reviewed by a Medical Expert Panel (MEP) made up of top-level Chinese and international medical experts.