IOC CHIEF BACH EMPHASISES SPORTS' ROLE IN A DIVIDED WORLD

PARIS, July 23 (Bernama-Xinhua) -- In a world rife with divisions, IOC President Thomas Bach highlighted the crucial Olympic values of solidarity, equality, and human dignity during the opening of the IOC’s 142nd session on Monday night, reported Xinhua.

"We are witnessing a new world order in the making," said Bach.

He noted that historic disruptions, featuring trends such as decoupling of economies, beggar-thy-neighbour, and narrow self-interests trumping the rule of law, are upending the system of international relations that has been in place since World War II and multilateralism is on the back foot.

"In this new world order, 'cooperation' and 'compromise' are sadly considered disparaging terms.

"These trends are deeply disturbing to us because they are going straight against our mission to unite. Grounded in and united by our Olympic values - we must be ready to face this sea change," he added.

Despite the tough challenges, the IOC chief has maintained a positive mindset.

"We are prepared because we are not only multilateral - we are global. The Olympic Movement is a global movement. In the Olympic Movement, we are all equal.

"We have 206 National (or regional) Olympic Committees that all enjoy equal rights under the Olympic Charter. What is more, we are living in solidarity with each other. Solidarity - this core value defines our Olympic community," he said.

The 142nd IOC Session will be held from July 22 to July 24 and on August 10 in Paris, France.

--BERNAMA-XINHUA