Sports
MEMBER nations have been enjoined to take advantage of the Olympic family principles and ensure that the world enjoyed an unforgettable celebration of sports achievements at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.
The President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Thomas Bach, said this in an address at the 2024 Olympic Day celebration in Lagos.
Olumide Oyedeji, President of the Nigerian Olympians Association (NOA) delivered Bach’s speech on Saturday at the National Stadium, Lagos.
Oyedeji also represented the President Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC), Habu Gumel, at the occasion.
The IOC president also described this year’s Olympic Day Celebration as a ‘Special One’ as it coincided with the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.
According to him, Paris 2024 also offers athletes the platform to inspire the world with the Olympic motto of togetherness.
”This year’s Olympic Day is a very special one, taking placing just ahead of the Olympic Games Paris 2024.
”With the excitement building, the athletes, the fans, the entire Olympic community around the world – all of us- we are all looking forward to a new era of Olympic Games, younger, more inclusive, more urbane, more sustainable.
”It is the very first Olympic Games with full gender parity. The very first Olympic Games fully in line with our Olympic Agenda.
”The Olympic Games always build bridges and bring people together in peace and solidarity,” he said.
He further said, ”This is the beauty of sport; it inspires us to move, it brings out the best in us, it keeps us healthy, and it brings us all together – as friends and as a community, wherever we are and whichever way we choose to move.”
The IOC president said that he was looking forward, ‘together with all of you, to the Olympic Games Paris 2024, for an unforgettable celebration of the joy of sport, for a celebration of our shared humanity – for a celebration of peace!.’
Also speaking at the event, the 1996 Olympic Games gold medalist, Chioma Ajunwa, said that the Olympic Day Celebration was s a great thing for lovers of sports.
She said that this year’s celebration was worth celebrating as it occurred in an Olympic Games year.
”It means a lot for all Nigerians that know what sport is all about, a market woman in the street may not know, but some of us that know what sport is all about, know that today is a great day in the Olympic family, and it is worth doing it because this year is Olympic year.
”Even if we have not been doing it in the past, I think it’s a great thing doing it this year, because we’re in full gear for our team moving to Paris.
”We know that this year is going to be like 1996. We’ve a lot of athletes that are really shaking the world,,” she said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that apart from Lagos, this year’s Olympic Day Celebration, was also celebrated simultaneously in Bayelsa, Ondo, Edo, Gombe, Kogi and Ebonyi states.
It was also celebrated in Taraba, Plateau, Kwara, Osun, Delta, Imo and Adamawa states.
The Lagos event was spiced with the demonstration sports including boxing, tug-of-war, Muay Thai, skating and jogging by Joggers Fitness Club, Heritage Dancers as well as Aerobics display by Cheerladies. (NAN)
F.A
June 30, 2024
Tags: Experience IOC President
