Anurag Thakur meets Association of National Olympic Committees secretary-general ahead of 141st IOC session
Oct 14, 2023
Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], October 14 : Union Sports Minister Anurag Thakur on Saturday met Gunilla Lindberg, the secretary general of the Association of National Olympic Committees in Mumbai.
The 141st session of the IOC will begin on Sunday in Mumbai. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the session on Saturday at the Jio World Centre in Mumbai.
Thakur held two bilateral meetings with prominent sports personalities and representatives of the International Sports Federations in Mumbai on Friday evening.
Anurag Thakur held the first bilateral meeting with the President of the World Rowing Federation Jean-Christophe Rolland, while the second bilateral meeting was with the President of the International Association of Athletics Federations, Lord Sebastian Coe.
The bilateral meetings focused on sharing expertise in sports science and medicine to improve the overall health and performance of Indian athletes. Collaboration on research initiatives to bring about innovation in training methodologies and equipment and the use of Digital coaching and Training in sports like other fields.
The IOC session serves as a key meeting of the members of the International Olympic Committee (IOC). Important decisions regarding the future of the Olympic games are made at the IOC Sessions.
The 141st IOC Session, being held in India, embodies the nation's dedication to fostering global cooperation, celebrating sporting excellence, and furthering the Olympic ideals of friendship, respect, and excellence. It provides an opportunity for interaction and knowledge sharing among the various sports-related stakeholders.
The session will also be attended by the President of the International Olympic Committee, Thomas Bach and other members of the IOC, along with prominent Indian sports personalities and representatives from various sports federations, including the Indian Olympic Association.
Earlier on Friday, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Executive Board officially recommended the inclusion of Baseball/Softball, Cricket (T20), Flag Football, Lacrosse (sixes), and Squash in the 2028 Olympic which will be hosted by Los Angeles, United States of America.
Cricket made its sole appearance at the 1900 Paris Olympics in which Great Britain defeated France in the final.
IOC President Thomas Bach spoke about the inclusion of Cricket in the 2028 Olympics and said that the IOC would work with the ICC to decide on the number of participating teams.
"We will work with the ICC as we do with all sports. We will not be working with individual cricket authorities of any nation. With co-operation from the ICC we will see how we can make Cricket more popular. We are still in the proposal mode, the number of teams participating is still not clear yet" said Thomas Bach.
