Geneva, 8 July 2009 – From 6-7 July, the Special Adviser to the UN Secretary-General on Sport for Development and Peace attended the 13th General Assembly of the Association of National Olympic Committees in Africa (ANOCA) in Abuja, Nigeria. He is today heading to London where he will join Tony Blair and other high level dignitaries at the Beyond Sport Summit.
Following the Special Adviser’s keynote speech at the Football For Hope Forum in Vaal, South Africa at the end of June, the Special Adviser was in the Nigerian capital, Abuja, to attend the 13th General Assembly of the Association of National Olympic Committees in Africa (ANOCA). The Special Adviser seized the opportunity to meet with the President of Nigeria Mr. Umaru Musa Yar'adua, the IOC President Dr. Rogge, ANOCA President Mr. Palenfo, United Nations Resident Coordinator Mr. Alberic Kacou as well as with more than 300 representatives of the National Olympic Committees of Africa, sports federations and civil society.
“The ANOCA meeting is a wonderful opportunity to foster partnerships between the Olympic family, the United Nations, sports federations and civil society”, states Lemke. He furthermore stresses: “We have to make sure that we not only support and nurture top athletes to become role models within their communities and countries, but also to provide opportunities for all citizens to enjoy the benefits of physical activity. Sport is a powerful tool for education, health, development and peace which has yet to be fully utilized, particularly in Africa.”
Since he was appointed in April 2008, the Special Adviser has been giving special attention to the African continent, especially with regard to sports programmes which enable people living with physical and intellectual disabilities, and which empower women and girls. In this context, he participated at a sports event at the SOS Children’s Village in Gwagwalada (http://www.sos-childrensvillages.org/where-we-help/africa/nigeria/gwagwalada/Pages/default.aspx), close to Abuja. SOS Children’s Villages is an international non-governmental development organisation that has been active in the field of children's rights since 1949, focusing on family-based, long-term care of children who can no longer grow up with their biological families (http://www.sos-childrensvillages.org).
Tomorrow, Mr Lemke will join Tony Blair, Auma Obama, Ian Thorpe, Michael Johnson and over 350 high level participants from the world of business, the UN, sports organization and civil society at the Beyond Sport Summit in London (http://www.beyondsport.org/the-summit) to discuss how to take their involvement in sport-led social innovation forward. During the Summit, the Beyond Sport Awards will be presented to six sport for development projects which have been selected from over 265 entries worldwide.
Your complete source of news about the Olympics is www.aroundtherings.com, for subscribers only.
Últimas Noticias
Sinner-Alcaraz, the duel that came to succeed the three phenomenons
Table tennis: Brazil’s Bruna Costa Alexandre will be Olympic and Paralympic in Paris 2024
Rugby 7s: the best player of 2023 would only play the medal match in Paris
Rhonex Kipruto, owner of the world record for the 10000 meters on the road, was suspended for six years
Katie Ledecky spoke about doping Chinese swimmers: “It’s difficult to go to Paris knowing that we’re going to compete with some of these athletes”
