Bach on the world situation: sacrificing games would be "completely wrong"
Despite the war in Gaza and the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine, IOC President Thomas Bach completely rules out the possibility of the 2024 Olympic Games not taking place in Paris. "We have a very strong geopolitical tension. To say that we are sacrificing the Games - that would be the completely wrong approach," said the 69-year-old at the Stuttgart Sports Talk on Monday evening, when asked about the 1916, 1940 and 1944 Games that were canceled due to the world wars.
"I don't know that we have a world war," added Bach. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) could not betray the basic idea of sport. "According to the UN definition, we currently have 28 wars in the world. Our mission is a humanitarian mission for the athletes and the sport. We try to recognize that. People also need something to unite them," said Bach.
There had been many armed conflicts in many countries in the past, and yet the National Olympic Committees had taken part in the Games and had treated each other fairly, said the top official from Tauberbischofsheim. The task was to keep the 206 National Olympic Committees together.
In the context of global conflicts, IOC President Thomas Bach strongly opposes the idea of sacrificing the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris due to geopolitical tensions, referring to it as "completely wrong." Furthering the discussion on politics and sports, Bach emphasized that the IOC's mission is a humanitarian one, aiming to unite people despite 28 ongoing wars worldwide as defined by the UN.
Source: www.dpa.com
