July 22, 2014: President of SportAccord, Mr. Marius L. Vizer has announced today that the 2015 SportAccord Convention will be staged in Sochi, April/May next year (date to be announced soon).
Activating Legacy following the Winter Olympics
He said, “It is a pleasure to inform the sport community that the Convention will be organised in Sochi. A city that demonstrated its passion for sport and capability through the successful organisation of the Winter Olympic Games, it will once again embrace the entire sport community while activating its legacy”.
He added “We are working towards our long-term goal of increasing the level, complexity, participation and diversity of the Convention to benefit all stakeholders and delegates”.
The Russian Federation Minister of Sport, Mr. Vitaly Mutko stated, “The SportAccord Convention is a unique opportunity for the sport community to come together for discussion on important issues in the field of Sport. The Convention has become a platform for the interaction of many sports organisation and Federations, where they accept the most important sport decisions”.
He also stated “The proposal to hold the Convention in Sochi is honoured and very important for Russia, especially after the Winter Olympic Games in 2014”.
In closing he said, “the Olympic Games legacy contributes to the development of Sochi as one of the most important sporting cities in the world, which makes it attractive for holding such significant events as the SportAccord Convention”.
SportAccord stance during Olympic Summit
The Olympic Summit took place in Lausanne on July 19, 2014.
President Vizer declared during the Summit that SportAccord fully supports the IOC, the Summit and the Olympic Games, including the reform strategy for 2020.
Additionally he requested on behalf of SportAccord the implementation of the following important points:
1. In order to ensure direct involvement in decisions of the Olympic Movement, IOC Membership to be granted for Presidents of Sports in the Olympic Program regardless of age regulations;
2. The current restriction for Olympic Games candidate cities to host SportAccord Convention to be dismissed. This would solve the issue today where yearly there are several candidate cities that wish to but cannot host the Convention;
3. To Increase IOC Recognition for the International Sport Federations;
4. Coordination in activities and services provided in order to increase efficiency between Olympic Stakeholders with the target of not duplicating efforts and activities, which will result in more effective usage of cost, energy and time;
5. SportAccord will mainly concentrate on the development of its four thematic multi-sport niche events (Mind, Combat, Urban and Beach). These events are already supported by participating International Federations and have the target to create benefits for International Federations on all planes as well as for the National Federations and Athletes. —- SportAccord
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