World Olympians Association (WOA) has announced it will hold its next General Assembly on 22 October 2020. The event will bring together National Olympians Associations (NOAs) from around the world, in a virtual setting, to discuss the future strategic direction of the organisation and its mission to support Olympians worldwide. Elections will also take place for the WOA Executive Committee for the next four years.
In keeping with the international guidelines around Covid-19 and WOA’s strong desire to ensure the safety of members, the General Assembly will take place entirely online. Voting will be completed electronically via an online voting system.
This year’s event will be opened with a special video message from WOA Patron and five-time Olympian HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco OLY, who will welcome NOAs to the online Assembly. WOA President Joël Bouzou OLY, will then update members on the growth and development of the organisation since the previous General Assembly in 2015.
International Olympic Committee (IOC) President and WOA Honorary President Thomas Bach OLY and IOC Sports Director Kit McConnell will also be addressing attendees, underlining the strength of the partnership between the two organisations and highlighting future collaborations at both a national and international level including at next year’s Olympic Games Tokyo 2020.
During the previous WOA General Assembly in Moscow in 2015, the Executive Committee was expanded and a new WOA Constitution was passed. Since that time WOA has made significant strides, expanding its network of NOAs and enhancing its ability to serve and empower Olympians through initiatives like the post-nominal letters OLY now used by over 13,500 Olympians worldwide, the NOA development and projects Grants Programmes, the Olympians Health Survey and the award-winning OLY House (formerly known as the Olympians Reunion Centre) at Games-time.
The aim of the 2020 WOA General Assembly is to provide a platform for members to share knowledge and highlight the benefits of WOA’s strengthened role as an institution, while ensuring NOAs are equipped with the information and tools needed to operate and work to their full capacity in their own countries. The Assembly will also hear about the development of a new strategic plan that will map out WOA’s priorities for the next four years.
WOA President, Joël Bouzou OLY said:
"We are pleased to be able to host the 2020 WOA General Assembly online this year, fulfilling our constitutional obligations, while ensuring the safety of our members is paramount. WOA remains committed to its vision of a harmonious world inspired by Olympians. The General Assembly offers us the necessary platform to consolidate and strengthen our organisational goals in order to deliver on this vision.
"By coming together at this time, we will be able to highlight the incredible strides WOA has made over the past five years. We will also hear from our member National Olympians Associations about what tools they need in order to continue the fantastic work they do inspiring and supporting Olympians in their communities and working in partnership with National Olympic Committees."
25 Years at #1: Your best source of news about the Olympics is www.aroundtherings.com, for subscribers only
Recent Articles
Sinner-Alcaraz, the duel that came to succeed the three phenomenons
Beyond the final result, Roland Garros left the feeling that the Italian and the Spaniard will shape the great duel that came to help us through the duel for the end of the Federer-Nadal-Djokovic era.
Table tennis: Brazil’s Bruna Costa Alexandre will be Olympic and Paralympic in Paris 2024
She is the third in her sport and the seventh athlete to achieve it in the same edition; in Santiago 2023 she was the first athlete with disabilities to compete at the Pan American level and won a medal.
Rugby 7s: the best player of 2023 would only play the medal match in Paris
Argentinian Rodrigo Isgró received a five-game suspension for an indiscipline in the circuit’s decisive clash that would exclude him until the final or the bronze match; the Federation will seek to make the appeal successful.
Rhonex Kipruto, owner of the world record for the 10000 meters on the road, was suspended for six years
The Kenyan received the maximum sanction for irregularities in his biological passport and the Court considered that he was part of a system of “deliberate and sophisticated doping” to improve his performance. He will lose his record and the bronze medal at the Doha World Cup.
Katie Ledecky spoke about doping Chinese swimmers: “It’s difficult to go to Paris knowing that we’re going to compete with some of these athletes”
The American, a seven-time Olympic champion, referred to the case of the 23 positive controls before the Tokyo Games that were announced a few weeks ago and shook the swimming world. “I think our faith in some of the systems is at an all-time low,” he said.
