(ATR) Delegates from around the globe are arriving in Prague for the biggest ever General Assembly for the Association of National Olympic Committees in Prague, Czech Republic. More than 1300 are expected this week from nearly all 206 NOCs.
ANOC President Sheikh Ahmad Al Fahd Al Sabah says the general assembly is ready to harness collective power of NOCs.
"We have a very full and exacting agenda with many important items," Sheikh Ahmad says. "The ANOC General Assembly is crucial in harnessing the collective power of the NOCs and ensuring that we are speaking with one voice and so our agenda needs to cover all the priority topics for the NOCs."
The assembly will provide updates on important topics facing the Olympic Movement, including progress reports on the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang and Tokyo 2020.
International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach will deliver his traditional state of the IOC message to the ANOC Assembly on Thursday.
Sheikh Ahmad notes that among the key items of business are the reports from the ANOC Commissions.
"I have no doubt they will all present important initiatives. Of particular note will be the report of the ANOC Legal Commission and their proposed changes to the ANOC Constitution and the report of the ANOC Events Working Group with the latest update on the ANOC World Beach Games in San Diego in 2019," he says.
Now in his fifth year as ANOC President, Sheikh Ahmad says he welcomes the now annual general assembly.
"We believe that hosting annual meetings is essential as they give NOCs a regular opportunity to raise any issues they are facing. It is also an important opportunity to continue to strengthen the relationships between NOCs and the IFs as many IFs also attend the General Assembly," he says.
The ANOC President was one of the select members of the annual Olympic Summit hosted by the IOC President in Lausanne Oct. 28. The summit brings together leaders from the IOC, federations and NOCs to hold a day-long review of important issues for the Olympic Movement.
"The meeting was very important as it is vital that all Olympic stakeholders have a voice when discussing matters which affect the future of the Olympic Movement," says Sheikh Ahmad about the summit, which included issues impacting NOCs.
"We all agree that protecting clean athletes and ensuring strong athlete representation are key priorities and that measures need to be taken in this regard. The Independent Testing Authority (ITA) has great potential to protect clean athletes and I hope that all the Continental Associations will follow the IOC and work with the ITA for their Continental Games. I have invited the ITA to make a report here at the General Assembly.
"I also reinforce the Summit’s call for all NOCs, who do not already do so, to establish athletes’ representative elections," says the ANOC President.
Around the Rings is on the scene providing live coverage of the event.
Written by Ed Hula
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