ANOC Chief Readies for Washington General Assembly

(ATR) Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah tells Around the Rings there is excitement over returning to the U.S. for the first time since 1994. The annual general assembly is being held this week in Washington, D.C. Atlanta was the last U.S. host.

"I am very happy after two decades to be back in the United States with a very important event, with 206 NOCs and a lot of IF and IOC and different sport organizations," Ahmad said.

"I think ANOC is in a winning position for both of us as a sport movement to be in the U.S., and the USOC is also winning because they are hosting a gathering after 20 years with a lot of sport leaders and organizations and this will refresh their experience they will have in the future of sport movement."

Ahmad referenced the Salt Lake City scandal and the hangover from the Atlanta Olympics as reasons for why the Olympic Movement shied away from hosting events in the U.S.

"I think now is the right time after all those years to bring the states back as a main area for sport events."

The United States Olympic Committee has devoted significant resources, working for three years to make sure the meeting is a success. The USOC is especially eager to please since it now has a city, Los Angeles, in the race for the 2024 Summer Olympics.

Looking ahead to the general assembly Oct. 29-30 Ahmad says the goals areto communicate the modernization of ANOC and future of National Olympic Committee relations over the course of the two days.

To achieve those goals, the 206 NOCs present will vote on changes proposed by ANOC commissions and potentially a host city for the 2017 ANOC Beach Games.

Ahmad has worked since taking over the president of ANOC in 2012 to modernize the body. In the days before the General Assembly juridical, youth, finance, medial, events, international relations, and marketing commissions have met in Washington, D.C.

"We have shown our seriousness to change our statues to change our procedures of our organizations and to have more relations between NOCs and sport organizations," Ahmad said to ATR.

"We have done our reforms, now we support the agenda 2020; I hope this agenda will be explained for all members who then decide."

Ahmad says that the current format of meeting yearly for the ANOC General Assembly will continue, budget permitting, so that NOCs can engage as many different groups in the Olympic Movement as possible. He said that it is important that all 206 NOCs have an opportunity to be in the same room to encourage communication outside of the traditional continental meetings.

"We don’t have to wait two years to show people what we are doing. Every year we are giving them a chance to see what we have done, budget-wise and all the procedures that have been taken by ANOC," Ahmad said.

As ANOC continues forward, the goal will be to continue improving how NOCs operate and sustain themselves, in addition to bringing them together to communicate.

Ahmad says that the group’s next project will be to continue the work the IOC has started to help NOCs find new revenue streams for themselves, but also to educate them on the practices of good governance.

"I think now what we discuss with the IOC about is governance and what the requirement is, and we have to give it to all bodies in sport starting from NOCs, to National Federations, down to clubs," Ahmad said.

"For that I think this is our next project to approve good courses and working groups, to give at least the requirement needed for all sport bodies of the world to start to have better governance."

Written by Aaron Bauer in Washington, D.C.

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