ANOC President Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah today welcomed IOC President Thomas Bach; Minister for Economic Affairs and Sport for the Canton of Vaud, Philippe Leuba; members of the IOC Executive Board; International Federation Presidents; and ANOC Executive Council and ANOC Commissions and Working Group members to the new ANOC headquarters for its official inauguration.
Around 250 guests from the Olympic family attended the inauguration ceremony of the new headquarters, situated in the heart of the Olympic capital, Lausanne. ANOC President Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah welcomed the guests to the house before passing the floor to Economic Affairs and Sport Minister Leuba, IOC President Bach and IOC Honorary President Jacques Rogge who all made short speeches. The ceremony concluded with the unveiling of the inauguration stone and the presentation of the Millennium Portal to the ANOC President by IOC President Bach as he declared the IOC’s doors were "always open."
ANOC moved into the new headquarters at the end of last year and has already hosted many ANOC and NOC meetings including two ANOC Executive Council meetings and an EOC Executive Board meeting. The headquarters has dramatically increased ANOC’s capacity and its modern facilities will ensure ANOC can continue to provide the best support to its NOCs.
Addressing his guests during the official inauguration, ANOC President Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah said:
"I am delighted to welcome you all here today for the inauguration of the ANOC headquarters. I would like to thank the NOCs, the ANOC Executive Council, all the IF Presidents who cooperated with us and of course the city of Lausanne. I am very happy as we started this project with our Honorary President Jacques Rogge and finished it with President Bach so we did it with two generations and two leaders.
"With 205 NOCs around the world it is very important that we have a headquarters that can serve as a home away from home for our members. This headquarters is fully equipped to host formal and informal meetings and provides the perfect base for ANOC to support its NOCs. Our doors are always open to all stakeholders in the Olympic family and I am sure that over the coming months and years we will have the pleasure of welcoming you here on many more occasions."
Minister of Economic Affairs and Sport for the Canton of Vaud, Philippe Leuba, said:
"The government of the state of Vaud, which I have the pleasure to represent here today as Minister of Economic Affairs and Sport, are proud and happy that the Association of National Olympic Committees has confirmed the city of Lausanne as the site for its new and modern headquarters. We perceive your presence as an extremely positive sign of your commitment and of your friendship to our state and to Lausanne, which consolidates its status as the Olympic capital."
IOC President Bach added:
"It is a great pleasure to be here. With this house we have a very happy situation where a friend is becoming a neighbour and this will only enhance the friendship and collaboration between the IOC and ANOC. We are always ready to be at your side and give good advice or assistance when requested and needed."
IOC Honorary President Jacques Rogge added:
"I would like to congratulate ANOC and thank the municipality and the Canton for their great support. This has been great teamwork and this is a splendid house."
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