IOC President Bach confident Paris Games will unite world in peaceful competition

By Sports Desk December 29, 2023
Thomas Bach Thomas Bach

Thomas Bach, President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) is confident that next year's Olympic Games in Paris will not only be a success, but more importantly, will serve to unite the world in peaceful competition.

"With the Olympic and Paralympic Games Paris 2024 only months away, the athletes, the fans, the entire Olympic community, all of us, are looking forward to a new era of Olympic Games: younger, more inclusive, more urban, more sustainable," Bach said in his New Year's message.

"It is inspiring to see everyone in the Olympic Movement making this new era of Olympic Games a reality. Therefore, we can look forward with great confidence to the Olympic Games Paris 2024 as a symbol of global unity and peace," he added.

Earlier this month, the IOC announced its decision to have a limited number of Russian and Belarusian athletes compete in Paris as neutrals under "strict eligibility conditions."

The decision applies to athletes who do not support the war in Ukraine while removing the option of a blanket ban due to the invasion.

"We are longing for the Olympic Games Paris 2024 to unite the entire world in peaceful competition," Bach said.

"People are exhausted and tired of the antagonism, hostility and hatred they encounter in all areas of their lives," he opined.

The former Olympic fencer also pointed out that the Games will be the first with full gender parity.

"Our expectations of these Olympic Games are shared by billions of people. In these difficult times we live in, people all over the world are exhausted and tired of the antagonism, hostility and hatred they face in all areas of their lives," Bach noted.

"Deep in our hearts we all long for something that unites us. Something that unites us despite our differences. Something to give us hope. Something that inspires us to solve problems peacefully. Something that brings out the best in us," he stated.

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    The Britain-based boxer overcame French hope Davina Michel by a unanimous points decision to reach the 75kg semi-finals on Sunday.

    With no third-place bouts at the Games, Ngamba is set for at least a bronze medal even if she loses to Panama's Atheyna Bylon on Thursday.

    Having led the Refugee Team as the flagbearer at the opening ceremony just over a week ago, Ngamba secured another piece of history here – though the Cameroon-born fighter is intent on not finishing just yet.

    "It means the world to me, to be the first ever refugee to win a medal," Ngamba said.

    "I'm just a human, just like any other refugee, athlete and refugee all around the world. But I hope I can change the medal in my next fight.

    "I was fighting a very tough opponent today. A lot of people were not cheering for me. But I listened to my team, I listened to my coaches and I listened to myself.

    "I stuck to the tactics and I stayed calm and composed. I'm happy that I got the job done. Hopefully, in the next one, I will also get the job done. No, not hopefully. I will get it done."

    Ngamba became the first refugee athlete to make the Olympics boxing tournament in May, and the first in any sport to earn a place in the Games by qualification rather than selection.

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  • Nayoka Clunis's Olympic dreams shattered by administrative oversight: CAS declares 'No Jurisdiction' Nayoka Clunis's Olympic dreams shattered by administrative oversight: CAS declares 'No Jurisdiction'

    In a decisive ruling on Monday, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) Ad Hoc Division concluded that it lacks jurisdiction to hear the dispute brought forward by Jamaican hammer thrower Nayoka Clunis. The decision came after a detailed examination of the timeline and events leading up to the application filed by Clunis on July 18, 2024.

    On July 4, 2024, Clunis's name was omitted from the list sent to World Athletics (WA). By July 7, she was informed by the JAAA that her name was missing from the list, and on July 8, WA confirmed that her name could not be added. Despite Clunis's contention that the dispute only crystallized when she received detailed submissions from WA on July 19, the CAS determined that the dispute had arisen earlier.

    The CAS proceedings began on July 18, 2024, with a videoconference hearing on July 20. The parties involved included Clunis and her counsel Dr Emir Crowne and Sayeed Bernard, representatives from the JAAA, the International Olympic Committee (IOC), WA, and the Jamaica Olympic Association (JOA). The panel, consisting of President Dr. Annabelle Bennett and arbitrators Ms. Carine Dupeyron and Ms. Kristen Thorsness OLY, found that the timeline of events placed the dispute outside their jurisdiction.

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  • JAAA given until 11am Friday to respond to Nayoka Clunis' application filed with CAS Ad Hoc Division JAAA given until 11am Friday to respond to Nayoka Clunis' application filed with CAS Ad Hoc Division

    Attorneys for Jamaica’s hammer thrower Nayoka Clunis have followed through on their promise, and have filed an urgent appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport’s (CAS) Ad Hoc Division to seek a resolution regarding the athlete’s Olympic Games omission.

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    It is unclear what the outcome would be if the JAAA or the Interested Parties fail to respond.

    Prior to filing the application, Clunis’ representatives, Sayeed Bernard and Emir Crowne, wrote to the JAAA and the JOA on Wednesday seeking an update about Clunis’ Olympic team status by 5:00pm, but their deadline was not met.

    The issue stems from the fact that Clunis, who achieved a National Record of 71.83 metres in May, to be ranked in the top 32 in the world this year, was initially named to the JAAA’s athletics team for the Paris Olympics.

    However, the 28-year-old’s dream of competing on the world’s biggest stage is now hanging in the balance due to a blunder from the JAAA, as her name was later omitted from the JAAA’s official list submitted to World Athletics.

    “Following the Jamaican Olympic Trials, I was elated to receive notification of my official selection to Team Jamaica. Unfortunately, I have since found myself in a difficult position. Due to an omission made by the Jamaican Athletics Administration Association, my name was not officially submitted to World Athletics. As such, I do not have a position in the Olympic Games,” Clunis shared in a post on X, formerly Twitter.

    CAS’s Ad Hoc Division deals with the arbitration of disputes that arise regarding major sporting events and usually decides within 48 hours.

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