European Athletics, the rights holder for events including the biennial European Athletics Championship, has created a new company to market its activities, through a joint venture with Tridem Sports.

European Athletics Marketing, based in Switzerland, will act as a service company for commercial strategies and sales activities, including sponsor account management and rights delivery.

Its first priority will be to develop the sponsorship programmes of European Athletics’ major events and work with local organising committees to optimise event revenues.

The company will also actively look for partnerships for European Athletics’ other activities and programmes, including the European Athletics Convention, Young Leaders programme and a new “Running for All” initiative to position European Athletics as the natural authority for running on the continent.

The new company is a joint venture with Swiss-based sports marketing agency Tridem Sports. European Athletics is the main shareholder of the new company and will maintain ownership and control of its commercial properties.

“We are confident that this new company will help us create additional values and revenues from our events and activities,” said European Athletics president Svein Arne Hansen.

“Tridem brings to the table expertise and know-how in sales, marketing and event implementation, and has the experience in networking and developing relationships with business companies.”

Tridem founder and CEO Christian Pirzer said, “We are pleased about this new joint venture with European Athletics, our first big project outside of winter sports. It will help to develop the commercial programme of athletics in Europe. It is our second joint-venture company with a major Olympic sport after the successful implementation six years ago of FIS Marketing AG with the International Ski Federation.”

The 2016 European Athletics Championships takes place in Amsterdam from 6 to 10 July and tickets are now on sale. 

The 2018 European Athletics Championships will take place in Berlin to coincide with swimming, cycling, rowing and triathlon events in Glasgow as part of the 2018 European Sports Championships.

2014 was a momentous year for Scotland and major events were at the heart of the excitement. The great success of the “best ever” Commonwealth Games in 2014 was followed by an acclaimed Ryder Cup.

“We’ve been putting Scotland forward as the perfect stage for events for a number of years,” Paul Bush OBE, chief operating officer of EventScotland told HOST CITY magazine. “What came out of last year is that it was a step change for us.”

The successes of 2014 have provided a platform for future hosting successes, building on proven strengths that EventScotland refers to as the “four Cs”: capacity, capability, credibility and confidence.

“Our capacity, in terms of number of volunteers, transport, infrastructure and accommodation, is now recognised around the world,” says Bush. “As for capability, all the events were delivered as the best ever or recognised some of the best.

“Credibility is about reputation; the experience of people coming to our events was high. And the feedback we had from the local population was extremely positive – they didn’t see the events as an impediment; they saw them as something to be proud of. 

“And that’s given us the confidence to look bigger and better in the future. The international federations now have great confidence in bringing their events back to Scotland this year.”

Glasgow is hosting the IPC Swimming World Championships and the World Gymnastics Championships in 2015. 

Outside the cities, Scotland is hosting seven golf tournaments back to back this year. The Open Championships takes place in St. Andrews this year while the Women’s British Open takes place in Turnberry in Ayrshire.

The World Orienteering Championships, which has record number of entries already this year, takes place in Speyside, the countryside around Aberdeenshire.

And the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup is taking place in Fort William again in what has become an annual Scottish fixture. 

“We’re really cognisant of the fact that we’ve got to spread the benefit as much as we can across the country,” says Bush.

“That’s not always possible because the facilities and the infrastructure are often the driver, but using our natural landscape is really important to us. 

The European Eventing Championships, the final qualifying event for Rio 2016, is in the tiny village of Blair Atholl in Perthshire. “The infrastructure that will be needed to put up around that will be huge, and that will really showcase the landscape of that area.”

The 2014 Ryder Cup was hosted on a greenfield site at Gleneagles. Despite the influx of 50,000 people a day, there were no problems in getting people to and from the event – thanks to a transport infrastructure group set up by the Scottish government to look after major events. Initially set up for the Commonwealth Games and the Ryder Cup, this group has since maintained its position within Transport Scotland to ensure the smooth operation of all major events. 

Beyond sport

Major cultural events are also an invaluable part of Scotland’s hosting portfolio. Glasgow was the European City of Culture in 1990, hosted the MOBOs in 2009, 2011 and 2013, the MTV Awards in 2014 and is hosting the Turner Prize in 2015. 

“Glasgow is recognised as one of the cultural gems of Europe; it has a huge history and heritage within contemporary arts,” says Bush, pointing out that three of the last five Turner Prize winners were educated at the Glasgow School of Art. 

“The MTV Awards got to a totally different demographic in terms of young people. MTV communicates through social media –their ticket sales for Glasgow were activated through Facebook, they don’t rely on traditional routes at all.”

Scotland nurtures its own cultural events that are incredibly valuable to the economy. The Edinburgh Festivals bring in around £262m each year, while Hogmanay alone brings in over £30m each year. 

“We’ve got some great gems in the cultural portfolio that we want to sustain and grow,” says Bush.

Business events are also an increasingly important feature of Scotland’s event strategy. “Meetings, corporate events, incentives, associations – these have now become part of our portfolio and we are looking to see how the synergies work between these different types of events,” says Bush.

Mass participation is another area where Scotland is keen to grow and diversify. Bush cites the London Prudential Ride and Melbourne’s Ride the Night, which attracted a quarter of a million people into the city centre between dusk and dawn, as examples. 

“We are looking at pressing different buttons, accepting the fact that we are not going to get the Ryder Cup or the Commonwealth Games every year, or even every lifetime. “The big thing for us is to ensure that people who come to events become repeat visitors in the future. 

“Last year, most people’s perceptions of Glasgow were changed and they realised what a great city it was to come to. A lot of cities have stigmas attached to them. But people thought this is a great city, it’s a really fun place to come to and the people are really welcoming.”

How to become a world class host

So, how can other cities and countries around the world follow this example build themselves into world-leading event destinations?

“The most important thing is you’ve got to have a very clear strategy and you’ve got to stick to that. It’s quite easy to buy events, as certain places in the world have successfully achieved. But you’ve got to work out your USPs, your strategy and your vision.

“You’ve got to invest in good people and you’ve got to give those people the time, the ability and the confidence. In Scotland we started this in 2001 – that’s 14 years ago. “But probably the most important thing in terms of long term success is your ability to deliver and the reputation that comes from that.” 

International conventions for the event hosting industry are precious few, but make the most of these, says Bush. “They are really important because they provide that ideal opportunity to get everybody in one place in the world to rekindle those relationships.”

This interview was first published in the Winter 2014/15 Issue of HOST CITY magazine. Since then, Glasgow has been awarded the hosting rights to the new 2018 European Sports Championship.

Durban, the only city bidding for the 2022 Commonwealth Games, is being subjected to full scrutiny as the Evaluation Commission conducts a full technical assessment of the bid this week. 

“We want to show the rest of the world that even the cities of South Africa can stand side by side with the great cities of the world,” said Gideon Sam, president of the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC).

“We will see this as an African dream and the coming together of Africa.” 

Over four days this week, the Evaluation Commission and Bid Committee will visit several venues, analyse and learn more about the technical aspects of the bid and meet with the government and city partners essential to delivering the Games.

The Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) Evaluation Commission is chaired by CGF honorary secretary Louise Martin CBE, who also chaired Glasgow’s bid to host the 2014 Commonwealth Games. 

“As a Commonwealth Sports Movement, we cannot fail to be excited by the prospect of a first Commonwealth Games in Africa, and warmly welcome Durban and South Africa’s bid and congratulate the Durban Bid Team and their local and national partners for all the hard work they have put in so far,” she said.

“This Evaluation Commission, however, has a very important job to do – to analyse and gain a deeper understanding of the technical aspects of the bid and hear firsthand the plans and strategies that will be put in place to deliver an inspiring and inclusive Games for everyone in seven years time. To borrow the bid team’s slogan, we are Ready to be Inspired.”

Addressing the Bid Committee at the start of the visit, she said “Our intention is to work with you and support you, to evaluate the current developments and help optimise them in partnership and in preparation for their endorsement by the CGF General Assembly in September.”

She added that the Commission intends this week “to be the beginning of a candid, collaborative and constructive partnership”. 

Martin is joined on the Commission by David Grevemberg, CGF chief executive; Andrew Ryan, executive director, the Association of Summer Olympic International Federations (ASOIF); Ian Hooper, director of sport and special projects, Glasgow Life; and Maxwell de Silva, secretary general, Sri Lankan Commonwealth Games Association and National Olympic Committee.

“We will be working with the Evaluation Commission to clarify and strengthen the city’s bid,” said Mark Alexander, Chairman of the Durban Bid Committee on Monday.

“We are expecting robust discussion and debate from the Evaluation Commission, but we are confident that our bid is well-grounded, sustainable and will stand up to the most vigorous scrutiny.” 

Bid Committee CEO Tubby Reddy added: “There is no doubt that we have put up a quality bid which will far exceed the expectations of the CGF. We have been meticulous and sensitive to all the demands from the City as well as from the CGF, and we believe that Durban has produced a world-class bid.

“Our belief in bringing the Games to Africa remains firm and very optimistic.”

Durban’s bid will be voted on by all 71 nations and territories of the Commonwealth Games Federation membership at their General Assembly on 2 September 2015. 

The Evaluation Commission will prepare a Bid Evaluation Report to present to the CGF membership no later than one month before the General Assembly.

Transformation 2022 in Africa

On the way to Durban, CGF chief executive David Grevemberg visited the IOC’s Sport for Hope Centre in Lusaka, Zambia to meet with 18 Commonwealth Games Associations (CGAs) from African nations as part of a Commonwealth-wide consultation with the CGF membership on Transformation 2022, the Commonwealth Sports Movement’s ambitious agenda for growth and innovation.

“Transformation 2022 aims to place athletes, and the transformational impact of their achievements and performances on citizens and communities, at the heart of the Federation’s vision. And there is no better place to have such powerful discussions than in the incredible sporting continent of Africa,” said David Grevemberg in Lusaka.

“This is a defining moment for our African colleagues, as they unite to support the ambitions of Durban and South Africa in their bid to host an inclusive and inspiring Commonwealth Games in 2022. It is also a defining moment for the Commonwealth Sports Movement, as we plan ambitiously for the future and develop and deliver Transformation 2022 in partnership with our members”.

Welcoming the delegation, Zambia’s Honourable Minister of Youth and Sport, Hon Vincent Mwale MP, said: “African Commonwealth Games Associations have a vital role to play in achieving the Commonwealth Games Federation’s Strategic plan for 2022. 

“The CGF provides a unique arrangement bringing diverse nations together for a common cause - sport. The Commonwealth Movement embraces unity and humanity, impacting citizens and communities across our region and this is critical to foster mutual collaboration and prosperity through sport.”

St James’ Park stadium in Newcastle, UK, has unveiled its newly refurbished Sir Bobby Robson Suite, designed and decorated in tribute to the late England and Newcastle United manager.

The Sir Bobby Robson Suite holds up to 80 guests and is situated on level 3 of the stadium.

“Sir Bobby Robson held a very special place in the hearts, not just of Newcastle United supporters, but of football fans the world over and this suite is a lovely and lasting tribute to him,” said Samantha Doyle, sales and marketing manager for Sodexo Prestige Venues & Events, which manages conferencing and events at St James’ Park.

Along with the Sir Bobby Robson suite, St James’ Park has one of the biggest banqueting suites in the north east of England, capable of holding up to 1000 guests. Executive boxes with views of the pitch are also available for smaller meetings.

The walls of the suite, which have been lined with images of Sir Bobby from his playing days and managerial career at clubs such as Fulham, West Bromwich Albion, Ipswich Town, PSV Eindhoven, Sporting Lisbon, FC Porto, Barcelona, England and Newcastle United.

St James' Park is the second biggest sports ground in England outside London. Home to Newcastle United Football Club since 1892, the stadium has also hosted international and 2012 Olympic football, as well as concerts from the likes of Bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen. 

In Ocotber, St. James Park is hosting three matches involving New Zealand, South Africa, Scotland, Samoa and Tonga during Rugby World Cup 2015.

The International Committee on Thursday launched a Register of Consultants representing cities bidding for the 2024 Olympic Games. 

The register was one of the recommendations of Olympic Agenda  2020, the “strategic roadmap for the Olympic Movement” initiated by IOC president Thomas Bach and unanimously approved by IOC members last year. 

The news was welcomed by Mike Lee OBE, chairman of Vero Communications, who has been involved in a number of successful Olympic bids including London 2012, Rio 2016, PyeongChang 2018 and Buenos Aires 2018. 

“I think the idea of a register and codes of ethics and conduct are a very good way forward; we are very pleased to see that.” he told HOST CITY. 

“Like others, we will be making an application to be on that register and I think it’s a healthy development and it’s something which the business in sport in general should embrace. 

“Certainly you see it in other walks of life – it’s been around in the public affairs industry in many countries, so it’s a good thing and all part of increasing the opening and transparency of the bidding process."

According to the IOC, all consultants wishing to participate in or support a candidature for the Olympic Games must be entered in the IOC’s Register of Consultants list for the city concerned.

Entry in the Register is a prerequisite for providing any service and/or signing any service contract by the National Olympic Committee (NOC) and/or the city.

The Register and Rules of Conduct form part of Olympic Agenda 2020’s Recommendation 3, which aims to reduce the cost of bidding for the Olympic Games, stating: “The IOC to create and monitor a register of consultants/lobbyists eligible to work for a bid city. Formal acceptance of the IOC Code of Ethics and Code of Conduct by such consultants/lobbyists as a prerequisite for listing in the register.”

The IOC considers a consultant to be any individual or company not linked by an employment contract to the NOC, the city or the bidding committee, and which/who participates in or supports a candidature by providing consultancy or similar services in any way and at any time.

The register will be published on www.olympic.org

With just over a month to go before the FIFA presidential election, candidate HRH Prince Ali Bin Al Hussein met with His Holiness Pope Francis at The Vatican on Thursday to discuss the global development of football and how to promote peace and social responsibility through sport.

In the private meeting, Pope Francis and Prince Ali discussed the challenges and opportunities around developing football globally. They also talked about how sport and football can help to promote peace and social responsibility. 

“I have been greatly inspired by Pope Francis’s work to use sport to build bridges between people of differing faiths and cultures,” said Prince Ali.

“Pope Francis is a true innovator in this regard; it was a great honour to meet with him not only in his capacity as the leader of one of the largest faiths in the world, but also in his capacity as a much-admired champion for peace, tolerance and inter-faith dialogue and understanding. Our discussions were very fruitful and we share a common vision of using sport as a force for good in the world.”  

Pope Francis is a football lover and supporter of Buenos Aires-based team the Saints of San Lorenzo. Before the 2014 FIFA World Cup, he published a video message in which he described football as “a game and at the same time an opportunity for dialogue, understanding and reciprocal human enrichment”.

Last year, the Vatican hosted an interfaith charity football match to promote peace, in which he welcomed past and present greats of the football world for the high-profile game at the Vatican.

Prince Ali is said to be a direct descendant of the prophet Mohammed.

The development of football is a key concern of Prince Ali, who has been vice president of FIFA since 2011. In January 2012, he founded the Asian Football Development Project (AFDP), a non-profit youth commission headquartered in Amman, Jordan.

The AFDP works to develop football across Asia with a focus on youth development, empowering women, social responsibility and the protection and evolution of the game. AFDP led the successful campaign to lift the ban on head scarves in football.

Prince Ali has worked to promote unity and develop football since becoming President of the Jordan Football Association in 1999. In 2000, he founded the West Asian Football Federation (WAFF), of which he is president. WAFF’s members are Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine, Syria, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Yemen, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman and Saudi Arabia.

The president of FIFA will be elected on May 29th.

The fifth venue plan for the Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup was unveiled on Wednesday. The new Al Rayyan stadium, which replaces an existing smaller football stadium, will have a capacity of 40,000 during the World Cup and be reduced to 21,000 after the tournament. 

The construction project is set to be complete by 2019.

Material from the old stadium is being reused and recycled. The new design incorporates renewable energy and cooling technologies to maximise legacy use.

“Unveiling the design of Al Rayyan stadium is another important step forward in our preparations to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup,” said Hassan Al Thawadi, Secretary General of the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy.

“We will continue to work tirelessly as our vision for the tournament takes shape on the ground.”

The upper tier of 19,000 seats will be removed after the tournament and sent to developing nations in need of sports infrastructure.

“Qatar has moved from the stage of reiterating its bid commitments towards demonstrating its ability to deliver several important infrastructure projects to the highest international standards in accordance with the timetables set,” said Salah bin Ghanem Al Ali, Qatar’s Minister of Youth and Sports.

Even though the 2022 World Cup is set to take place in the cooler months of November and December, the stadium will incorporate cooling technology to maximise the venue’s potential for legacy use. 

“The sophisticated modelling employed has heavily influenced the innovative designs for cooling systems and the advanced roof and wind screen design, with best practice being used to optimise designs for waste reduction and energy management strategies,” said Yaver Abidi, regional managing director Middle East and Asia at Ramboll, the lead design consultant on the stadium.

“The Al Rayyan Stadium will deliver an impressive and comfortable experience for fans and players alike and leave a strong legacy for the Al Rayyan community.”

90 per cent of materials from the deconstruction of the current stadium is being re-used. Some of the materials will be used by local and international artists to create works of public art.

Doors, windows, frames, water fixtures and fittings, light switches and sockets have been used in construction site accommodation and offices. Concrete has been crushed and stored for future site levelling works. Reinforcement bars and other metals will be recycled by Qatar Steel. Topsoil has been stockpiled for future precinct landscaping works, while scrap timber will be recycled by licensed centres across Qatar.

The stadium precinct’s carbon footprint will be reduced through the use of on-site renewable energy, lightweight building design, careful selection of materials and energy and water efficiency measures. 

The stadium is designed with the goal of certification under both the Global Sustainability Assessment System (GSAS) and Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) ratings.

David Barwell, chief executive Middle East and India of AECOM said: “As the project manager for the Al Rayyan Stadium and Precinct, we see our strength in connection, bringing together our global team of experts from previous major sporting and FIFA events, and the embedded knowledge in country, technology and cooling experts, all of which is led by our strong project, commercial management and delivery team. 

“We connect the collective knowledge, experience and innovative ideas to create an amazing sporting venue that brings people closer together and close to the action. The community and culture of Al Rayyan has been at the heart of what we are trying to achieve, creating a destination venue that will leave a meaningful legacy they can be proud of, now and in the future.”

The stadium design is intended to reflect Al Rayyan’s sporting heritage and Qatar’s environment, through patterns and designs on the stadium’s façade.

“The stadium’s distinctive façade was created using cutting-edge parametric design tools so that it also plays an important role in cooling the building.” said Dipesh Patel, architect and founder of Pattern Design, the lead design consultants on Al Rayyan. “The result is a landmark for Qatar that works effectively both as a world-stage for sport and, we hope, something that is genuinely meaningful and welcoming locally."

Al Rayyan Stadium is the fifth stadium design the Supreme Committee has unveiled. Work is now underway across the following stadiums: Al Wakrah, Al Bayt – Al Khor, Khalifa International Stadium, Qatar Foundation Stadium & Health and Wellness Precinct and Al Rayyan Stadium.

The leaders of 17 international Olympic sports federations have signed a letter saying statements made by SportAccord president Marius Vizer yesterday do not represent their views.

The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), International Shooting Sports Federation (ISSF) and World Archery went so far as announce that they are leaving SportAccord.

In his opening speech at SportAccord Convention in Sochi on Monday, Vizer criticised the IOC for not acting in the interests of sports federations. IOC president Thomas Bach then denounced this criticism and the leaders of 17 Olympic sports federations have been quick to rally behind him. 

The presidents of the international federations for sports including swimming (FINA), modern pentathlon (UIPM), triathlon (ITU), archery (WA), equestrian (FIE), football (FIFA), badminton (BWF), athletics (IAAF), shooting (ISSF) and hockey (FIH), cycling (UCI), volleyball (FIV), World Rugby and World Archery co-signed the letter which stated that Vizer’s views do not represent those of international federations. 

“We the undersigned members of the SportAccord Association are expressing to the SportAccord leadership our disagreement on the opinions expressed this morning by the SportAccord president during the opening speech, which do not reflect the views of the international federations,” the letter said.

“We also express our strong support to the International Olympic Committee and to the Olympic Agenda 2020, which has been adopted under the leadership of the IOC president Thomas Bach in consultation and agreement with all the international federations.”

The signatories, from just under half of all the 35 Olympic sport federations, represent some of the most influential names in world sports, including Sepp Blatter, president of FIFA and IOC member; Ugur Erdener, president of World Archery and an IOC board member; Bernard Lapasset, the president of World Rugby who ran against Vizer for SportAccord presidency in 2013; and Lamine Diack, president of IAAF.

In a letter sent to Vizer yesterday, the secretary general of World Archery, Tom Dielen said: “We hereby declare that the World Archery Executive Committee based on what happened this morning at the General Assembly took the decision to suspend our membership of Sportaccord until further notice with immediate effect. 

“We will put this on the agenda of our next Executive Board in July 2015 for a final "decision. 

“We will discuss with Sportaccord – DFSU unit on what this means with our current contract but in the interest of both organisations, we suggest that the contract is ended at the end of this year.”

Amid the turmoil, Vizer was re-elected unopposed as president of SportAccord. In an address to the SportAccord Convention, Russian president Vladimir Putin congratulated Vizer, saying “Russia has worked very well with SportAccord and we are happy that the election has taken place in our sports capital.

“Sochi has given us the platform to organize big events and exhibitions. I hope that you will have a chance to enjoy all that is on offer,” president Putin told delegates.”

In a call to heal the rift between the IOC and SportAccord, Putin said: “Let me emphasise that the support of SportAccord and IOC means a lot to us. We will continue to work together and promote peace and sport. I am convinced that the sports movement should be united and not divided by contradictions.”

It was also confirmed that the SportAccord Convention will take place again in Sochi next year. Vizer said “I thank all stakeholders for participating in the Convention this year. Next year we hope to organise logistics better with chartered flights for participants from European destinations." 

IOC president Thomas Bach has responded to SportAccord president Marius Vizer’s attack by dismissing his views as personal and not representative of Olympic sports federations.

President Bach also said consultation with SportAccord on matters concerning the Olympic Games was not necessary, as the IOC collaborates closely with Olympic sports federations directly.

“Mr Vizer: thank you very much for your open words which you have been expressing here,” Bach said, addressing SportAccord Convention after Vizer’s confrontational opening speech. 

“Also I have to say that following the many discussions I had with many of your colleagues, be it the Olympic summer federations, be it the Olympic winter federations, be it the IOC recognized federations, and the many contributions they made to the discussions on Olympic Agenda 2020, my impression is a little bit that the opinion you have is exclusively yours. Because these people have made constructive proposals which has resulted in even closer collaboration between the IOC and international federations.”

Bach said: “When you say that the IOC and SportAccord have to cooperate in order to have a new model for the Olympic Games, for the organisation and for the generation and distribution of the money then I have to say very clearly, “No.” For different reasons. 

“First of all our partners are the Olympic Federations. They are doing the effort. And whenever we have an issue with them, whenever there are ideas we are discussing with them. 

“And the same applies to the recognized federations. Whenever a recognized federation has an idea, they know very well that the doors in Lausanne are open and that they are enjoying our support in many ways. And if there are issues that are common to the recognized federations then we speak to the president of the IOC recognized federations. They are recognized by the IOC as are the National Olympic Committees, which are our direct partners.”

SportAccord is the umbrella group for both Olympic and non-Olympic sports federations.

“We prefer to address all the issues in a direct open dialogue as stipulated by Olympic Agenda 2020 and as is being practiced inside the IOC where we are openly discussing and preparing all the discussions and decisions with the representatives of the international federations,” said Bach. 

“There the international federations have two seats in the IOC Executive Board and whenever you have a question, because you said you were surprised by some of the decisions, I can only offer that you speak with the representatives of the international federations in the IOC Executive Board and they can fully inform you and advise you what is going on. 

“And then you will learn that in the IOC there is an open dialogue, not only among the Members of the IOC EB but we also have as some of you may remember open discussions in the IOC Session in the presence of everybody.”

In his speech, Vizer had accused the IOC of a lack of transparency. 

“It was about one year ago here in Sochi when we had such a Session where all the questions by all the stakeholders were openly discussed,” said Bach. “Afterwards many of you contributed to this Olympic Agenda 2020. We received around 40,000 submissions and I thank you all for these contributions. 

“In fact nobody who wanted to listen, and nobody who wanted to hear, and nobody who wanted to understand, and nobody who wanted to have some sort of good will, could have missed this discussion and could be surprised by any of the decisions we are taking, including the Olympic channel, which was mentioned here.”

Vizer also said the launch of the Olympic TV channel had not been developed in a transparent manner. 

“About the Olympic channel, you could have already read about it in my brochure for campaigning to become IOC President about two and a half years ago,” Bach responded. 

“This is not to mention the first time I proposed it was back in 1994, but for this you are way too young to have followed, this is only for elderly people like me to have some nostalgic feeling to come back to this. 

“And this Olympic channel is an offer to you and has been discussed again with the international federations and has been discussed with the National Olympic Committees (NOCs) who play an extremely important role.”

The IFs, NOCs and national federations cannot be considered in isolation, Bach said. 

“It is just not right to create a discrepancy between the Olympic Movement, the NOCs and the National Federations. Because they are your members, they are your constituents and at the same time they are the constituents of the NOCs.”

Like all the international federations, SportAccord is recognized by the IOC. 

“As an IOC recognized federation you are a full member of this Olympic Movement and you have of course access to the Olympic channel,” said Bach. 

“This is why are offering you workshops here for you to discuss how this can be done in the very best way and how you can really tap this great potential and how you can ensure that your sport and athletes are enjoying worldwide presence through this channel and how in this way you can grow your sport and make it more popular.  And you can promote the values we all share.”

Bach raised further points in his speech, which ran on for longer than the five minutes he had been allocated. 

“I was invited to give a five-minute welcome speech but I’ve been a little bit longer as I had a lot to tell you after this friendly welcome I enjoyed here.”

Addressing the audience primarily made up of international sports federations, he said “Our doors are open to each and every one of you. We are making this offer of cooperation and support to each and every one of you. I thank you for having taken it already in the last one year and a half and having contributed to this effort of open dialogue and concerted action within the sport movement.”

Marius Vizer, the president of SportAccord, the umbrella group of international sports federations, has directly criticised IOC president Thomas Bach and his programme of reform, Agenda 2020. 

Agenda 2020 was unanimously approved by IOC members in December 2014, but Vizer said the reforms are not in the interests of sports and international federations. 

He criticized the IOC’s decision to launch the new Olympic TV channel, which he said was taken without consultation or transparency. 

Speaking at SportAccord Convention in Sochi on Monday, Vizer also complained that the IOC is preventing the launch of new multi-sports Games event. 

“After becoming SportAccord President, I always tried to develop a constructive collaboration with the IOC and with President Bach. A collaboration based on respect towards the Olympic Movement, its members and the values in which I believe. Unfortunately, it never became reality,” Vizer said. 

“I made a number of proposals in favour and for the benefit of IFs and SportAccord but we have never received a positive reaction. Mr. President, stop blocking the SportAccord strategy in its mission to identify and organize conventions and multi-sport games. 

“Do not try to create a theory around which sports are and are not eligible for multi-sport games. Do not try to impose upon the organizers of SportAccord events guidelines on how to distribute funds generated and earned by ourselves. Do not interfere in the autonomy of the sport organizations.”

The primary feature of Agenda 2020 is its reform of the bidding procedure for Olympic Games, which has been changed to reduce the cost of bidding to make it more appealing to cities. 

One of the changes brought in was to prevent bidding cities from presenting at SportAccord Convention. “The voting for potential host cities of the Olympic Games is compromised,” said Vizer. 

“Key stakeholders are excluded from making informed decisions when selecting Olympic host cities: the bid cities cannot present their candidatures at SportAccord Convention to all stakeholders, IOC members cannot visit bid cities and during the IOC Session, when the vote takes place, IF presidents – who are organizers of the Olympic Games, are obliged to leave the room.”

Vizer said the interests of the international federations (IFs), which SportAccord represents, were not properly addressed.

“The Agenda 2020 hardly brings any real benefit to sport, to IFs, or athletes. It did not bring about more clear criteria, rules and principles,” he said.

Vizer singled out recommendations 9 and 10 of Agenda 2020 as leading to “a destabilizing of the Olympic sports”. 

Recommendation 9 manages the scale of the Summer Olympic Games by limiting accreditations to 10,500 athletes competing in 310 events, and the winter Games to 2,900 athletes and 100 events. 

Recommendation 10 sets out to structure the Olympic programme around events rather than sports. The IFs are to be involved in regular reviews of the programme and organising committees will be able to suggest adding one or more sports to the programme, but the IOC retains ultimate decision making power over which sports and IFs to include in the programme. 

“We must protect the Olympic sports and disciplines currently in the Olympic programme and at the same time we must encourage and support the new sports and disciplines who want to join,” said Vizer.

He also described recommendation 19, to launch an Olympic TV channel as “very surprising”. 

“The IOC Members voted in December 2014, in the IOC Session, unilaterally, without a clear business plan, a commercialization plan and project, to reduce the dividends to International Federations in order to establish the Olympic channel. Leaving from the premise that the Olympic Movement has the assets, any business project in the world needs a business plan, investors, professional partners, breakeven points, strategy, consultation with stakeholders – International Federations and to generate a benefit for all stakeholders. Only after the decision it appears that a plan is in process. 

“At the same time, the cost of more than 450 million dollars to establish a digital channel seems exaggerated. Do consult us as stakeholders of the Olympic Movement regarding all the proposals, contracts and partnerships that are being signed and make them transparent!”

Vizer took over as president of SportAccord in May 2013, before which he was president of the International Judo Federation. He is faces no challenger in the presidential election due to take place at the SportAccord Convention.

Read the full transcript of the speech here.