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Athletes should have a free and unfettered access to sports competitions: IOC
Three wushu athletes from Arunachal Pradesh -- Nyeman Wangsu, Onilu Tega and Mepung Lamgu were blocked from competing in the Asian Games by China.
With three Indian athletes from Arunachal Pradesh denied entry by China for the Asian Games, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) on Thursday reminded the organisers that athletes should have a "free access to sports competitions, regardless of their nationality and passport they hold."
"This is a principle that applies everywhere across the world is that all athletes should have a free and unfettered access to sports competitions, regardless of their nationality, regardless of the passport that they hold," said James Macleod, Director of NOC Relations, Olympic Solidarity and Olympism365.
"We, as the IOC, will continuously uphold this principle. In this case we're aware of the situation. It is a matter for the Olympic Council of Asia and we know that there are discussions between the OCA and the hosts of the Asian Games to hopefully try and resolve this situation," said Macleod while interacting with the Indian media in the run-up to the IOC Session in Mumbai from October 15-17.
Three wushu athletes from Arunachal Pradesh -- Nyeman Wangsu, Onilu Tega and Mepung Lamgu were blocked by China leading to India lodging a strong protest with Chinese authorities. It was the second instance of these three players missing a competition in China due to travel restrictions. China doesn’t recognise India’s sovereignty over Arunachal Pradesh, while India has consistently rejected China’s claim that the northeastern state is disputed territory.
IOC also said that it was "disappointed" that Indian Olympic Association is yet to appoint a CEO.
"We have been continuing our dialogue with Indian Olympic Association for that position to be appointed, and I must say that we're quite disappointed in the fact that it hasn't been done up till now. Specifically with conversations around future hosting of the Games (Olympics), you need a very strong National Olympic Committee to be able to back those back those kinds of bids," he added.
Talking about choosing a host city for the 2036 Olympics, Future Olympic Games Hosts Director Jacqueline Barrett said it could be locked by 2026-2027. She said they are yet to receive a formal proposal from India.
"There has definitely been a lot of talk. We're aware of the the huge interest which is exciting to see from India. We haven't had any formal application or formal contact with the National Olympic Committee of India on this idea, but definitely, we know of the very great interest there is from India," she said.
Cricket for LA Games?
On cricket being considered for inclusion for 2028 Los Angeles Games, Christophe Dubi, Olympic Games Executive Director said the sport was being discussed.
"We have to look into all aspects of every proposal that that LA will make. You've read about some of their proposals. And of course, cricket was debated. but there are also a number of disciplines that that we discuss at the IOC level. So, when you take all of this, there, there are a few questions. One is the capacity to host, because it's a lot of fields of play, and although we are in LA, and, this is the most formidable market for sport and entertainment. Still, we have to make sure that we have all the the options and validate also the economics behind all of them," said Dubi.
India's shooting great and Beijing Olympics gold medallist Abhinav Bindra was also part of the panel as IOC Athletes’ Commission member.
"The Olympic Movement (IOC Session) is coming back to India after a gap of 40 years. As an Indian athlete and somebody who’s been involved in the movement for a long time, I would also like to see a Games come to our own country for sure. The Mumbai session is a very important date,” he said.
The Abhinav Bindra Foundation has collaborated with the IOC to launch the Olympic Values Education Programme (OVEP) last year in Odisha. One of the first major IOC projects in India, OVEP is a key initiative which aims to bring a change in children's life through sport.
IOC initiatives before Mumbai Session
Also, IOC will have a series of unique initiatives ahead of the Mumbai Session, showcasing Olympic culture and art in Mumbai, Delhi, Odisha and Assam. It includes an Olympic film festival, fine art photography exhibition, and Olympic values educational programming.
Olympics in Reel Life – A Festival of Films and Photographs, will open in Mumbai on October 1. The two-week retrospective will showcase the rich heritage, art and culture of the Olympic Games in still and moving imagery. The festival will feature two weeks of screenings, exhibitions and artistic workshops at the prestigious National Centre of the Performing Arts (NCPA) in Mumbai (Oct 1-7) and at the India International Centre (IIC) in Delhi from 8-14 October. A total of 33 Olympic films by renowned filmmakers such as Kon Ichikawa, Milos Forman, Carlos Saura, Claude Lelouch and John Schlesinger are slated for screening.
“This festival is truly the first of its kind in India – a unique and rare opportunity to view a wide selection of masterpiece films and photographs selected from the rich heritage collections of the International Olympic Committee,” said Yasmin Meichtry, Associate Director of the Olympic Museum."
The IOC Session is coming back to India after 40 years. It was hosted in New Delhi in 1983.
