(ATR) The annual sports convention of the international federations closes in Gold Coast, Australia.
"United Through Youth" was the theme for the six-day sports summit in Queensland.
The final presentation was run by local junior leaders who stole the show.
"While it is difficult to build the future for the youth, united we can build the youth for the future," a member of the Gold Coast Junior Executive told delegates.
After the focus on ‘Leaving a Legacy Behind’ everyone moved outside to see more sport demonstrations and a boomerang throwing display from local Indigenous people.
Friday started with the Global Association of International Sports Federation awarding the 2021 World Combat Gamesto Kazakhstan.
Among other presentations and updates including one on the inaugural World Urban Games in Budapest in September.
Over 1,700 delegates from 800 organizations and 109 international federations attended SportAccord.
Technological advancements and the relevance of sport to the youth market were consistent themes inside and outside the Gold Coast Exhibition and Conference Centre.
Raffaele Chiulli, newly-elected president of GAISF and SportAccord this week, summed up the conference’s 17th edition.
"It has been an extremely successful week at SportAccord, many productive discussions, interesting speakers and of course the wonderful Gold Coast Sports Festival 2019, powered by GAISF," he said.
The Gold Coast Sports Festival had over 250 school children participating in a wide variety of sports over three days as well as professional athletes doing Surf Life Saving and Freestyle BMX to demonstrate the appeal of their sport.
The Gold Coast is one hour south of Brisbane and is Australia’s premier domestic tourism hub. And it is part of the group of Queensland cities forming a bid for the 2032 Summer Games.
On the eve of SportAccord, the Australian Olympic Committee, led by president John Coates, did not miss the opportunity for local government officials to meet with IOC chief Thomas Bach and other IOC executives. They wanted to capitalize on the most influential sport administrators coming to the region.
South Korea’s Ban Ki-moon, the United Nations Secretary General from 2007 to 2016 and now the chair of the IOC Ethics Commission, was perhaps the best-known speaker at this SportAccord.
Also on the final day, Australian Olympians inspired hundreds of Queensland students at an Olympics Unleashed presentation.
Sprint kayaker Burnett, whose K2 partner Alyssa Bull took on a new role Friday as the Boxing Kangaroo mascot ‘BK’, emphasized the importance of finding something you love and following it.
"This sounds like a love story, but when I started training with ‘Bully’ I started loving the sport so much more," Burnett told the students. "It really helped me unlock my passion and do all those extra one percenters that has made all the difference.
"If you can find teammates or schoolmates that help you love what you’re doing – in sport or anything else – it’s going to make it so much easier to do the extra work that lets you achieve incredible things."
Sport Accord 2020 will be held in Beijing next April, less than two years out from the next Winter Olympics
Reported by ATR at SportAccord
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