IOC President at Incheon Asian Games-On the Scene

(ATR) IOC President Thomas Bach says the cooperation between the IOC and the Olympic Council of Asia "has never been closer."

Bach spoke to the General Assembly of the Olympic Council of Asia, commending the body’s work in the Olympic movement, and the success of Asian Sport.

Since 2008, the continent has hosted or will host the 2008, 2018, and 2020 Olympics in Beijing, PyeongChang, South Korea, and Tokyo. Asia also hosted the 2010 and 2014 Summer Youth Olympic Games in Singapore, and Nanjing, China respectively.

Two Asian cities Almaty, Kazakhstan, and Beijing are currently bidding to host the 2022 Winter Olympics.

"All this shows the growth and dynamism of sport in Asia initiated and governed by OCA," Bach said in his speech.

"Under the leadership of [Shiekh Ahmad] you have worked with great determination and a great consistency to reach this new heights for sport in Asia."

Bach visited Asia the most out of any continent during his first year in office, a fact that brought a smile to OCA President Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahal Al-Sabah.

"Asia will always be a main hub for the sport and the sport event and thank you for your support and the confidence form the IOC," Sheikh Ahmad told Bach after his speech.

Bach addressed Olympic Agenda 2020, which will be presented in Monte Carlo on December 8-9 in an extraordinary IOC Session.

He said the "good and comfortable position" the IOC was in, spurred the IOC to explore necessary changes for the Olympic movement.

"If you do not change when you are successful the day will come when you will face problems, and when you have to make changes at the time of crisis you are not sitting in the driver seat anymore you are being driven to changes."

Bach stressed the topics of "sustainability, availability, and youth" when proposing changes in his speech.

He noted a lack of commitment to sustainability during the bidding process through the Olympics' ecological impact, but also sustainability of the bid processes itself.

"We want to invite potential bidding cities to tell us how they see Olympic Games fitting best into their social, economical, ecological, and sports environments."

"They are invited to really think about which contributions sport and the Olympics can make to their long term development. We will have to set minimum standards and of course there can be no compromise on the field of play for athletes."

Three cities dropped out of the race for the 2022 Olympics, two due to cost concerns. Stockholm dropped out early in the race, while Krakow, Poland ended when a referendum rejected the bid.

Bach addressed the need for flexibility in the Olympic Program and the need for Olympic sports to receive greater exposure year round.

Flexibility in the sport program would engage and energize the youth according to the IOC President. It also would allow for greater exposure for sports in non-Olympic years.

"People see some of the Olympic Sports every four years then in the time in between there is a lack of communication and lack of information."

Bach said the need for an Olympic Channel that can broadcast Olympic sports year-round and news in sport development is a change that must come out of the Olympic Agenda paper.

"It would ensure that 365 days a year, 24 hours a day the people around the globe could follow all our activities, share the emotions of sport events, and share the information of sport in society."

Politics and Sport Must Coexist Peacefully

Thomas Bach says that sport and politics need to partner up in a way with "mutual respect" going forward.

"In the past some have said sport has nothing to do with politics or they said sports have nothing to do with money or business. This is just an attitude, which is wrong."

Bach said that without proper governance sport falls apart, and acknowledging the fact that politicians run the world would help best develop going forward.

For the Olympic Agenda 2020 paper, Bach said he enlisted the help of many government organizations including the United Nations to help get an outsider perspective on changes for the IOC.

"A big theme of my first year in office was making our contribution to society by being political neutral and not being apolitical, but realizing our decisions have political implications."

"We signed a historic agreement with the UN just in April last year addressing this partnership to see how sport can contribute to development and peace in the world."

Homepage Photo: Getty Images

Written by Aaron Bauer in Incheon

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