IBSF President Ferriani reports on effects on Winter Sports Federations
Lausanne (RWH) The International Olympic Committee (IOC) will set up an aid package of up to USD 800 million for the organisation of the postponed Tokyo Olympic Games including the Olympic Movement, with 150 million for the International Federations (IFs), the National Olympic Committees (NOCs) and the IOC-Recognised Organisations. The money aims to enable them to continue their sports, their activities and their support to their athletes. This was, amongst other topics, decided during the current virtual meeting of the IOC Executive Board on May 14.
Ivo Ferriani, president of the International Bobsleigh & Skeleton Federation IBSF and member of the IOC Executive Board as Winter Sports representative, informed IOC president Thomas Bach and the other Executive members regarding the impact of the COVID19 pandemic to the Olympic Winter Sports Federations.
It was previously announced that Olympic Solidarity has increased the budget for its athlete programmes by USD 15 million, which covers scholarships for over 1,600 athletes from 185 NOCs and the IOC Refugee Olympic Team.
Olympic Solidarity had also increased the budget for IOC subsidies for the participation of NOCs in the Olympic Games by USD 10.3 million. This additional budget will allow Olympic Solidarity to make available additional funds relating to exceptional Games-related costs incurred by NOCs due to the postponement of the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020.
“The Olympic Movement is facing an unprecedented challenge. The IOC has to organise postponed Olympic Games for the first time ever, and has to help its stakeholders come through this global crisis”, said IOC president Thomas Bach. “This new situation will need all our solidarity, creativity, determination and flexibility. We shall all need to make sacrifices and compromises. Extraordinary circumstances call for extraordinary measures. This situation requires every one of us to do our part, and this applies to all of us, including the IOC. With today’s financial plans, we are addressing these needs.”
According to the respective IOC press release, the 136th IOC Session on 17 July was decided to be held as video conference for the first time and live-streamed for all who want to follow. The Session was originally planned during the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo that were postponed to 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic. ©RWH2020
https://www.olympic.org/news/ioc-executive-board-agrees-to-virtual-ioc-session-in-july
