NOC Challenges, Opportunities -- On the Scene

(ATR) Leaders of National Olympic Committees speak about the challenges they face at the latest Around the Rings Newsmaker Breakfast.

Hosted in Bangkok on the closing day of the Association of National Olympic Committees general assembly, the location is the 14th city in the world where an ATR breakfast has been held.

Panelists included Koji Murofushi, Olympic champion and sports director for Tokyo 2020, Robin Mitchell, president of the Oceania National Olympic Committees and IOC member in Fiji, Jose Quinones, president of the Peruvian NOC, Spyros Capralos, president of the Hellenic Olympic Committee, and Aïcha Garad Ali, president of the Djibouti NOC.

Moderated by ATR editor Ed Hula, the group reflected on challenges from natural disasters, economic downturn, government interference, and political instability – and the opportunities those challenges bring.

For Greece, Capralos says the financial issues that plague his country are the "most difficult thing that we’ve faced."

The Greek state cut all funding to athletes after the 2008 crash, and the HOC had to turn to outside help to support its competitors.

"We went door to door to friends, store owners, businessmen, and banks," Capralos said.

"Of course it is not easy, these people are assisting and providing help to other categories of people who are in need, so sport is not their top priority."

So far, 55 athletes in 12 sports have been sponsored by the HOC, as the country hopes to send as many athletes as it can to Rio de Janeiro for the 2016 Olympics.

While finances plague Fiji because of its remote location in the Pacific Ocean, political instability has provided a tricky challenge for the NOC.

Since 1987 the country has experienced four coups, which had the potential to derail the autonomy of sport in the country. But Robin Mitchell said the instability turned into a plus.

"For the NOC, it’s an opportunity to build facilities because we know the people who are running the coup. We shouldn’t say it’s a blessing because of those who are persecuted, but for the rest of us sport is the only activity that brings joy to the country."

Mitchell said that operating costs to host events in the country go down after a coup, so for sport it is a time that can yield development and growth for the future.

Aïcha Garad Ali says she has had to fight hard for NOC autonomy in Djibouti.

"Between 1984 and 2004, it was only the ministry of sport and youth that was involved, and the minister was [automatically] NOC president," Ali said through a translator.

Ali was elected president in 2005, becoming one of the few women in the world to head an NOC. She described losing power briefly in 2006 after taking time off to have a baby. Instead of serving as interim president, the minister of sport simply took power in her absence.

"At the present we have autonomy. It took me 10 years to get where we are today, but I can say we are independent and now in my executive committee we have four women and five men."

After a decline in the Peru guerrilla warfare in the 2000s, the Peruvian NOC looked to bring Olympic values back to the country.

"Five years ago our budget was $12,000, and we relied solely on Olympic Solidarity money," Jose Quinones said.

Sport programs in the country fell by the wayside in the 1990s, culminating with the country being declared the "least physically active in the world."

"The government didn’t care about the Olympic committee. We tried to forge an alliance with local, regional, and national government to share some goals together. Then we can show we have something to give so the government agreed to work with us."

Slowly but surely the country worked to develop its athletes and demonstrate to the government the power and necessity of sport. With government support, Peru won the rights to host the 2019 Pan American Games.

For a well-developed country such as Japan, natural disaster remains the biggest, most unpredictable challenge the NOC faces.

The 2011 earthquake and tsunami decimated Japan, after which sporting heroes tried to help the country rebuild and bring hope back to the region.

"We need to continue to encourage them, but the people are still suffering because they lost their loved ones, parents, friends, their homes are washed away in one day their whole lives were changed," Tokyo 2020 sports director Koji Murofushi said.

After the earthquake, the country’s priority was to provide immediate relief to the survivors and to work to rebuild infrastructure. After a few months, sporting leaders from Tokyo’s bid for the 2020 Olympics began to reach out to try to bring normalcy to the region.

"After three months I visited one of the junior high schools, and I went there and how can you say anything? The words don’t have anything meanings, but we started doing activities with sports, relays. Then they start smiling."

Murofushi said winning the 2020 Games shows sport can have an impact in a decimated region.

"It’s not just Olympics for Tokyo, it’s all of Japan, especially the disaster area. I cannot encourage them through words, but the Olympic spirit the sports were able to change them. We have to keep reaching out."

Written and reported in Bangkok by Aaron Bauer

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