Challenges of the 'post Covid-19' Olympic Movement Discussed

(ATR) The challenges of the Olympic and Sport Movement 'post Covid-19" will be analyzed in a "virtual" international forum next week.

The Guatemalan Olympics and sports authorities have had the initiative to organize the First International Congress of Sports Sciences, Olympism, and Olympic Movement between June 22 and 24.

The meeting will coincide with the 126th anniversary of the founding of the International Olympic Committee on June 23, 1894.

"Sport and the Olympic Movement play a key role in human development," said Willi Kaltschmitt Luján, honorary member of the IOC and president of the Committee of Honor of the event.

"In these times of complexity and uncertainty arising from the crisis caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, we can take this opportunity to learn and redefine our future, increasing the relevance of the Olympic Movement in the current moment and in the future at the global level," remarked Kaltschmitt, who was a permanent member of the IOC from 1988 until December 31, 2019 when he also ceased as the Head of Protocol for the Olympic body.

Congress has the recognition of institutions like Panam Sports, United Nations, UNESCO, Pan-Iberian Association of Olympic Academies, Ibero-American Council of Sport, the Association of Pan-American Sports Confederations (ACODEPA), and the National Commission of Sports, Physical Education and Recreation of Guatemala.

A message from IOC President, Thomas Bach, is expected at a time in which the Olympic Movement has had to suffer the unprecedented postponement of the Olympic Games caused by the coronavirus.

The forum will feature experts of various continents who will share their vision of the sport and society today and after the brutal global scouring of the coronavirus pandemic that emerged from the Chinese city of Wuhan in late 2019.

Participants will include the Guatemalan Olympics and sports authorities, president of the Spanish Olympic Committee, Alejandro Blanco; the illustrious Olympic historian, Conrado Durantez, president of the Spanish Royal Olympic Academy; the president of Panam Sports Neven Ilic; the president of ACODEPA Francisco Lee; and the Rector of Panamerican University, Mynor Herrera Lemus.

María José Martínez Patiño, University of Vigo and chairwoman of the organizing committee; Cristina Tourais de Afonso Rocha, Olympic Committee of Portugal; Fernanda Faggiani, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre;César Torres and Francisco Javier López Frías, from New York University and the University of Pennsylvania respectively, are also mentioned on the list.

Other renowned professionals like Eric Vilain, Yannis Pitsiladis, Cora Burnett, Yan Wang, Miguel Cornejo, Nelson Schneider Todt, Juan Pedro Fuentes García, Roland Naul, Willibald Gebhardt and Stephan Wassong will also participate in the analyses leading to confirming the Olympic Family's ability to turn crises into opportunities, to work as a team and to draw lessons from each of them.

Those interested in participating in this congress can register athttps://cutt.ly/dyJtmzb. A virtual diploma of participation will be extended.

Reported byMiguel Hernandez.