National Olympic Committees from the Oceania region visit Japan to discuss the importance of team management

National Olympic Committees from the Oceania region visit Japan to discuss the importance of team managementto achieve best performances at major tournaments.

As part of the Sport for Tomorrow programme, a Japanese government-initiated programme to promote international cooperation through sport, the Japan Sport Council (JSC) and the Japanese Olympic Committee (JOC) jointly invited representatives from National Olympic Committees (NOC) in the Oceania region to Tokyo to participate in the 2016 edition of the Discovery Camp programme. The representatives were invited to share opinions and discuss best approaches to sports team management so that the teams and individual athletes are able to perform to the peak of their abilities at major international sporting events such as the Olympic Games.

The programme, formally entitled "Discovery Camp: Tomorrow's Friends Programme," was held during 28 February ? 6 March, and brought together 14 representatives (including Secretaries General and Chefs de Mission) from NOCs of the Oceania region in charge of teams taking part in the Rio 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The overriding objective of this programme was to share experiences and expertise on successful team management to enable teams to perform to their utmost at major sports events, establish stronger relations among NOCs in the Oceania region, and gain a deeper understanding of the host city of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

The representatives made presentations and shared opinions on the approaches they have taken to team management in their respective countries to ensure they provide the best possible environment for their athletes to perform and achieve the optimal results in major competitions. The JOC gave a presentation on how various programmes strengthen elite athlete performance levels and coaching capabilities, as well as on how Japan provides comprehensive support to its national Olympic and Paralympic teams. The JSC also gave a presentation on the importance of using sports science, along with the experience on identifying young talents that have a potential to become future elite athletes.

The representatives visited the Ajinomoto National Training Center and the Japan Institute of Sports Sciences to observe the facilities and systems that allow athletes to prepare and perform at their best in actual tournament conditions. They were also briefed on such issues as sports management systems and sport sciences in Japan, and visited competition venues and the Athletes Village site to be used at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

On the final day, Kitty Chiller, the representative from Australia and Chef de Mission of the Australian Olympic Committee, facilitated a session to share the vision and goals of Sport for Tomorrow and discuss how the programme could be implemented along with its benefits for countries in the Oceania region. The group discussed short-term goals in the final lead to the Rio 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games, as well as long-term goals for the successful delivery of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games. This session was conducted with Oceania representatives and with strong collaboration from Japanese agencies.

This year's Discovery Camp followed on from a similar programme held last year for ASEAN countries, which also invited the participation of Mongolia. This year's programme was organised jointly by the JSC and the JOC with the support of the Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (Tokyo 2020).

Chiller said, "The Discovery Camp was a fantastic opportunity to strengthen networks and partnerships between Japan and countries in the Oceania regions. There was a genuine willingness and openness from everyone to share ideas and tools to improve preparations and planning for the Rio 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games and the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The important thing now is for all participants to share what they have learned with their colleagues in their own countries."

Andrew Lepani, the representative from Papua New Guinea and the Deputy Secretary General of Papua New Guinea Olympic Committee said, "It has been a very interesting week filled with valuable information on the Sports for Tomorrow programme. This new knowledge will help NOCs and countries in a variety of areas. The programmes and facilities in Japan are impressive, and Tokyo 2020 is doing a very good job to support the athletes. The knowledge exchanged will help our NOCs improve preparations for the Games. We look forward to expanding on this initiative to see lasting impact in the Oceania region."

For further inquiries, please contact:

Weber Shandwick

Email：sportfortomorrow@webershandwick.com

20 Years at #1: Your best source of news about the Olympics is www.aroundtherings.com, for subscribers only