Prince Albert praises WOA at 127th IOC Session

10 | 12 | 2014

IOC Member and WOA Patron, HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco, has praised the role of the WOA during a welcoming speech at the Opening Ceremony of the 127^th IOC Session in Monaco.

After welcoming to the Principality the IOC President, Thomas Bach, and rest of the IOC Membership, Prince Albert commended the WOA for the ongoing efforts to combat the Ebola virus in West Africa through the #TargetEbola fundraising campaign and the work being done to look after athletes in their lives after competitive sport.

Speaking at the Grimaldi Forum in Monaco, Prince Albert, said:

“I want to take this opportunity to mention the actions of the World Olympians Association, placed under the Honorary Chairmanship of President Bach. The mission of the WOA has evolved to focus on Service to Society and I’d like to draw attention to the very recent global campaign to help combat the Ebola virus, a campaign I joined, participating in its launch.

“I also wish to highlight the involvement of President Joël Bouzou who launched an important programme focussing on the health of Olympians after their sporting careers have finished. A lot is done to improve an athlete’s performance, but very little is done in terms of practical and physical matters for an athlete in order for them to stay in good health after a life of intense training and competition.”

Upon the publication of the 40 Agenda 2020 proposals last month, President Bouzou offered the full support of the WOA where needed in the key areas that focus on Olympians, principally in relation to enhancing the athlete experience and supporting initiatives that help spread the values of Olympism in communities around the world.

During the Session, the IOC Membership passed unanimously all 40 proposals that were tabled to shape the future of the Olympic Movement after a year of stakeholder consultation and debate.