He continued: “As always in times of crisis, we look for the opportunities. Our opportunity is that, exactly in these divisive and confrontational times, people around the world are looking for a unifying force. A unifying force that brings humankind together. And this the Olympic Movement can offer; we can offer with our mission to unite the entire world in peaceful competition.”
The event was held for the sixth time in Brussels and hosted by the European Olympic Committees (EOC) and its President and IOC Member Spyros Capralos. The guests included Mariya Gabriel, EU Commissioner responsible for sport; Emma Terho, Chair of the IOC Athletes’ Commission and an IOC Executive Board Member; Andrew Parsons, President of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) and an IOC Member; Vadym Guttsait, the Ukrainian Minister for Youth and Sport; athlete representatives from all over Europe; Glen Killane, Executive Director of Eurovision Sport at the European Broadcasting Union (EBU); and other senior representatives from European institutions and the Olympic Movement.
IOC President Thomas Bach and IOC Member Sergii Bubka, the President of the National Olympic Committee (NOC) of Ukraine, joined remotely from Lausanne to deliver their speeches.
In his keynote speech, President Bach addressed the multiple existential crises that Europe is facing simultaneously, including the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the global pandemic and the climate crisis. He underlined the role of sport in addressing these and their numerous challenges.