Team Belgium’s Post

The Europeans for Artsakh movement has urged the International Olympic Committee to take a stand against Azerbaijan's participation in the 2024 Olympic Games. The movement has sent a letter to the President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) concerning Azerbaijan's participation in the 2024 Summer Olympic Games in Paris and has called on the IOC to undertake concrete measures. The letter was also sent to the French National Olympic Committee, the French Olympic Games Organising Committee, the City of Paris, the President of the French Republic and the Minister for Sport and the Olympic and Paralympic Games, Europeans for Artsakh said in a press release. Referring to the ongoing conflict and the ethnic cleansing committed by Azerbaijan against the indigenous Armenian population of Nagorno-Karabakh, the Europeans for Artsakh movement urged the IOC to ban Azerbaijan from being represented as a state at the forthcoming Olympic Games and to allow Azerbaijani athletes to compete only under a neutral banner. “This call comes in the wake of Azerbaijan's genocidal policy and ethnic cleansing in Nagorno-Karabakh/Artsakh, which led to the forced displacement of 120,000 Armenians from their ancestral lands and homeland in September 2023,” the movement said. Only the French National Olympic Committee replied to the letter, according to the press release, acknowledging the situation and indicating that its position was in line with that of the French government and its diplomatic efforts, while stating: "we cannot remain insensitive to such a catastrophe." “Europeans for Artsakh expects a clear position from the International Olympic Committee, since a failure to respond would undermine the integrity of the Olympic Games and pave the way for warmongering states.The movement will continue to put pressure for the sake of integrity and justice in this regard.” Europeans for Artsakh is a pan-European movement bringing together the representative bodies of the 15 Armenian communities in Europe. It was the initiator of an appeal addressed to the leaders of the European Council, the European Commission and the European Parliament, as well as to the leaders of the Member States of the Council of Europe, in support of the Armenian population of Nagorno-Karabakh. This appeal was co-signed by more than 500 European associations. The mission of this movement is to mobilise citizens and take the necessary action to ensure that the fundamental rights of the indigenous Armenian population of Nagorno Karabakh (Artsakh) are exercised and guaranteed.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) reaffirms its position against the politicisation of sport. This position is a Fundamental Principle of the Olympic Charter, which says: “Recognising that sport occurs within the framework of society, sports organisations within the Olympic Movement shall apply political neutrality. They have the rights and obligations of autonomy, which include freely establishing and controlling the rules of sport, determining the structure and governance of their organisations, enjoying the right of elections free from any outside influence and the responsibility for ensuring that principles of good governance be applied.” Read the full declaration 👇 https://lnkd.in/gnJGQaa8

Boria's article in The Economic Times has touched a very important aspect of the Olympic Games, highlighting the essence of what the Olympics stand for beyond the medals and glory. The Olympic Charter and what Olympism stands for are all about including everyone, bringing people together, and using sports for more than just winning games. This idea fits well with what Baron Pierre de Coubertin said, which is: "The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not winning but taking part; the essential thing in life is not conquering but fighting well." This idea is also in the Olympic Charter. The goal of the Olympic Movement is to help create a peaceful and better world by teaching young people through sports. These sports follow the values of Olympism. There's a big discussion about whether it's a good idea for World Athletics to give money to gold medal winners at the Paris Olympics. It's important to think about balancing the need to reward top athletes and the bigger goal of the Olympics to bring people together from all over the world. The Olympic Movement is unique because it's not just about winning; it's about bringing everyone together through sports. Giving too much money for winning can change that. The Olympic Charter teaches us to value every athlete, from the fastest to the one who finishes last. Remember Eric Mousambani from Equatorial Guinea? He was a swimmer who got to the Olympics through a wild card. He wasn't fast, in fact the slowest swimmer in Olympic history, but he tried his best. This is just as important as what famous swimmers like Michael Phelps have done. The Olympic motto, which was recently updated to "Faster, Higher, Stronger - Together," shows that the Olympics are about working together, not just being the best. This motto tells us that being together in sports matters just as much as being fast or strong. International Olympic Committee – IOC | Olympic Channel Services | Olympic Refuge Foundation

Almost a third of the #Lithuanian population is in favour of the International Olympic Committee – IOC decision to allow individual Russian and Belarusian athletes to participate in the Olympic Games, according to a survey commissioned by LRT. The survey showed that 30 percent of respondents approve of the IOC’s decision to allow Russians and Belarusians to compete in this year’s #Paris Olympics under a neutral flag, while 56 percent are against it. In early December, the IOC decided to allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete at the Olympics, except in team events, if they do not actively support the war in #Ukraine. Both, the Lithuanian Olympic Committee and the Education, Science and Sports Ministry object to this decision. “The ministry’s position has remained unchanged since the beginning of the aggression in Ukraine by Russia and Belarus, which supports it. As long as the war continues, athletes from these countries should not take part in any international competitions, neither as representatives of their own countries nor as neutrals,” the Education, Science and Sports Ministry said in a written reply to LRT.lt. https://lnkd.in/dzvsAuFd

I attended the final Session of the Canadian Olympic Committee, before the #Paris2024 Olympics and Paralympics. We covered a great deal of ground: a new strategic plan; implications of the recent federal budget; the coming "Future of Sport in Canada Commission". The Paris Games will focus public attention on high performance sport. This increases the opportunity for the Olympic movement to make the case for sport as a public good, worthy of public support. It also heightens the urgency for sport institutions to put their houses in order, in protecting athlete rights, fostering greater inclusion, and improving governance. https://olympic.ca/ 🍁🏅

Up to 100 Russian athletes may be eligible for 2024 Paris Olympics — sports official "Our athletes participated in eight sports disciplines at the international level," Alexey Morozov noted Up to 100 Russian athletes still have a chance to qualify for the 2024 Summer Olympic Games in Paris, Russian Deputy Sports Minister Alexey Morozov said on Wednesday. "Up to 100 people may qualify for the [2024] Olympic Games," he said. "However, the criteria for admitting Russian athletes to international competition constantly change, so this figure could change later." "Our athletes participated in eight sports disciplines at the international level," he added. On December 8, 2023, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) allowed Russians and Belarusians to compete in the Olympic Games in Paris under a neutral status. The IOC reported that athletes from Russia and Belarus would not be allowed to participate in any team events. Participation in the Olympics will also be denied to those who actively support hostilities. Individuals associated with the army or national security organizations will not be allowed to compete in the Olympics. Officials will not be accredited to the competition. The display of official symbols of Russia and Belarus will be prohibited. Paris, known as the "City of Light," is scheduled to host the 2024 Summer Olympic Games between July 26 and August 11, 2024. #business #finance #financialservices

2024 BRICS Games The 2024 BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) Games will be held in Kazan on June 12-23 and will feature events in 20 different sports. In mid-May 2023, Russian President Vladimir Putin instructed the government to submit proposals for organizing and holding the 2024 BRICS Games in Russia. Oleg Matytsin, who served as the Russian sports minister at that time, emphasized later that the BRICS Games were not meant to rival any other competitions and would not interfere with the international sports calendar as well as with the IOC-approved calendar of events. In April, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov paid an official visit to China, where he stated that the 2024 BRICS Games and the following World Friendship Games in Russia would be organized based on the principles enshrined by International Olympic Committee (IOC) Charter. 2024 World Friendship Games Moscow and Yekaterinburg in Russia’s Urals region are slated to co-host the 2024 World Friendship Games on September 15-29. In December 2023, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) cautioned National Olympic Committees (NOCs) against participating in the World Friendship Games in Russia next year, as this would violate the global Olympic body’s recommendations. Last November, WADA chief Banka warned that certain sanctions could be in place against international athletes willing to participate in the 2024 World Friendship Games. He said in particular that: "The possible participation in those competitions of those who are parties to the WADA Code, may have certain consequences." (Part Two, The End) #business #finance #financialservices

Before thinking about Paris 2024's opening ceremonies being one week from today, let's flash back to Paris 1924, in many ways the first modern Olympic Games. The Paris Games of 1924 fit historically in the window of five enormously significant Olympic Games sandwiched between the first and second World Wars- Antwerp 1920, Paris 1924, Amsterdam 1928, Los Angeles 1932 and Berlin 1936. That the Olympics simply returned in Antwerp in 1920, after WWI caused the cancelation of the 1916 Games is probably significant enough. No Olympic truce for us 20th Century types. Amsterdam saw women on the track for the first time, Los Angeles marked a return to America and all that LA symbolizes in Olympic history, and Berlin is the culmination of the Olympics and political and social spectacle as Jesse Owens defied Hitler's ideals on supremacy as sport was a surrogate for statecraft. It is in these "sandwiched Games," the Olympics first began addressing the issues that defined the next one hundred years, gender, race, inclusion, opportunity and global politics of society not just sport. There is probably no better lens to see the modern Olympics coming of age than that of Paris 1924. Professional coaches, if not athletes. Yes, even tennis players like Rene Lacoste were amateurs, yes that Lacoste. It was the Olympics of Harold Abrahams and Eric Liddell made famous in "Chariots of Fire," of Johnny Weissmuller and Duke Kahanamoku who remain famous even today anywhere there is water, and of Jackson Scholz and the incomparable Paavo Nurmi. 1924 was also the year that Coca-Cola began the longest continuously running sports sponsorship in history with the Olympics that will celebrate its centennial in Paris this year. These Games would mark Baron Pierre de Coubertin’s, the father of the revived Olympics, last as President of the IOC. The folks at The Atlantic have compiled an amazing photographic history of the 1924 Paris Games to help us get ready for the 2024 Paris Games. #Olympics, #HistoryofSports #GlobalSports #SportsSponsorship

The Euro Championships action is well under way in Germany, but how are fans engaging with the tournament? In our latest YouGov report, we’re exploring what the tournament’s audience looks like and how they follow it across six key competing European nations, as well as in the US – where we’ve seen interest in the sport growing rapidly. Some interesting insights to note: - As the host nation for event, Germany has the highest levels of followership for the tournament (52%), as well as the most even gender split of supporters. - Despite not having a team participating in the tournament, there is strong engagement from young soccer fans in the US. - Scots are the most likely to say they will “try to watch as many games as they can” (57%). - Out-of-home viewing is most prevalent in British culture, with more than 1 in 3 England and Scotland fans watching the tournament at pubs, bars and other outdoor venues. Download the full report here: https://okt.to/hFqmGx #Sports #UEFAEuro2024 #Euros2024 #YouGov