(ATR) German football legend Franz Beckenbauer, ex-chancellor Gerhard Schröder and former IOC president Jacques Rogge were among 240 high-profile guests at Thomas Bach’s 60th birthday celebration.
Bach held his birthday bash in his home town of Tauberbischofsheim on Friday. He turned 60 on Dec. 29 but delayed the event until after the holidays.
Other luminaries from the world of sport in attendance included former London 2012 chair Sebastian Coe, who now heads the British Olympic Association and International Fencing Federation president Alisher Usmanov. Olympic fencer Claudia Bokel, chair of the IOC’s athletes’ commission, was the only IOC Executive Board member at the party.
In his address to the leaders of sport gathered at the event in the town hall of the small Bavarian town, Bach said full attention had to be paid to deliver a successful Sochi Games.
Ex-chancellor Schröder wished Bach good luck for his first Games at the helm of the organization.
"I am sure that the security is guaranteed by the Russian authorities," he said.
Federal minister of finance Wolfgang Schäuble said, "It is a gigantic job to lead international sport. Everybody knows that there are also problems. But I think he is the right man for it."
Two-time Olympic figure skating champion Katarina Witt said she was pleased to see Bach in the top job in world sport: "It’s nice that he has become an IOC president and that a town celebrates her son so."
UN sports ambassador Wilfried Lemke brought best wishes from UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon. Honorary IOC member Kipchoge Keino, an old friend, was another leading light from world sport sharing the celebration.
Written by Heinz Peter Kreuzer.
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