PARIS: The support of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) for athletes, National Olympic Committees (NOCs) and Continental Associations of NOCs and the Olympic Movement continues to grow, strengthening even further the solidarity within the Olympic Movement.
Following a proposal by the Olympic Solidarity Commission, which met in Paris on 19 July, the IOC Executive Board (EB) today approved an increase in the overall Olympic Solidarity budget for 2025 to 2028 by 10 percent, reaching an unprecedented total of USD 650 million.
‘Solidarity is at the heart of the Olympic Movement. It is even more important in the difficult times that we are living in,’ said IOC President Thomas Bach. ‘By increasing the budget of Olympic Solidarity over the next four years, we will strengthen even further the solidarity within our Movement. Not only will we allow more athletes to pursue their Olympic dreams thanks to individual scholarships, we will also provide assistance to the least privileged NOCs that are the most affe
cted by ongoing crises and deserve our full support.’
The Olympic Solidarity Plan for 2025-2028 embodies our commitment to strengthen our support to all NOCs and their athletes, and the solidarity within our Movement,’ said Robin Mitchell, an EB member and Chair of the Olympic Solidarity Commission, when presenting the plan.
”This 10 percent budget increase means more athletes benefitting from individual scholarships, more teams supported, and more coaches and sports administrators trained. As for young athletes, we are particularly pleased that the Olympic Solidarity youth programmes will focus on Africa, in anticipation of the next Youth Olympic Games Dakar 2026.”
The support from Olympic Solidarity goes beyond the direct support received by athletes. ‘It takes a lot more for athletes to be ready for the Games,’ Mitchell explains. ‘Since Tokyo and across the world, over 22,000 coaches and over 15,000 sports administrators have attended courses funded by Olympic Solidarity, leading to a stronger entoura
ge for athletes competing in Paris. Olympic Solidarity is proud to support NOCs and their athletes on their journey to Paris 2024,’ he added.
Source: Emirates News Agency
