ANOC Executive Council meeting concludes in Santiago, Chile

WSantiago, Chile-The first ANOC Executive Council meeting since the close of the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic Winter Games took place in Santiago, Chile , with praise for the record-breaking National Olympic Committee [NOC] representation in the Republic of Korea high on the agenda.

A record 91 NOCs and the Olympic Athlete from Russia delegation participated in PyeongChang 2018, with six NOCs making their debut. 268 recipients of Olympic Solidarity scholarships from 60 NOCs – 62% of the athletes funded for the Winter Games – qualified for PyeongChang 2018, winning 13 Olympic medals and 57 diplomas. 227 Youth Olympic Games graduates from 51 NOCs competed, winning 26 medals between them.

ANOC President Sheikh Ahmad highlighted the IOC’s success in negotiating the participation of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea at PyeongChang 2018, particularly their symbolic entrance to the Olympic Games Opening Ceremony under a unified flag with the Republic of Korea team, and the unified Korean women’s ice hockey team.

The Executive Council also praised ANOC Secretary General Gunilla Lindberg for her tireless work as Chair of the IOC Coordination Commission for PyeongChang 2018.

The majority of the meeting focused on assessing the impact of ANOC’s efforts to provide support to the NOCs of the world.

Each of the nine Commissions and Working Groups reported on their work since the last Executive Council meeting in Prague, in November 2017.

The ANOC Executive Council passed a resolution to adopt a new conflict of interest policy that applies to the members of the Executive Council and Commissions, as well as ANOC staff.

The policy continues ANOC’s mission to set a best practice example to the NOCs of the world in the field of integrity and good governance.

The ANOC Events Working Group presented an update on preparations for the inaugural ANOC World Beach Games San Diego 2019, accompanied by local organising committee Chairman Vincent Mudd.

The Executive Council heard the latest developments in the commercial programme, including the signing of the first Tier 1 sponsor Spark Compass in February, and the ongoing collaboration with the International Federations, with 15 IF meetings taking place in March.

Sheikh Ahmad stressed the importance of laying down a blueprint for success with the inaugural ANOC World Beach Games in 2019 to ensure the long-term viability and attractiveness of the event.

Secretary General Gunilla Lindberg confirmed the venues for the third editions of the NOC marketing seminars, hosted in collaboration with the IOC Marketing Department and Olympic Solidarity. This year’s seminars will take place in Slovakia, Tokyo and Madrid.

ANOC Athletes’ Commission Chair Barbara Kendall began her update by praising the success of the Chile Olympic Committee’s Athletes’ Commission, and in particular its Athletes’ Career Programme.

In April, ANOC will distribute a questionnaire to all NOCs to assess their Athletes’ Commissions’ compliance with IOC guidelines, and identify how the ANOC Athletes’ Commission can support their continued development.

Finally, the ANOC Executive Council approved the creation of a five-member Electoral Commission that will be tasked with managing the ANOC Executive Council elections in accordance with the ANOC Constitution, including the election of the President, at November’s General Assembly.

ANOC President Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah said:

"This has been a very fruitful meeting in the wonderful city of Santiago. We are grateful to the President of Panam Sports, Neven Ilic, and the President of the Chile Olympic Committee, Miguel Angel Mujica, for their warm hospitality.

"The success of the PyeongChang 2018 Games encourages us to continue building our support for the NOCs of the world, working hand in hand with our partners at Olympic Solidarity and the IOC. Our Commissions and Working Groups are working hard and delivering tangible benefits to the NOCs and their athletes."

The next ANOC Executive Council meeting will take place in Tokyo in November, alongside meetings of the nine ANOC Commissions and Working Groups, the IOC Executive Board and Olympic Solidarity, with the ANOC General Assembly set to surpass last year’s edition in Prague as the largest ever.

The Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC)

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