27 March 2024 - International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach addressed the ONOC General Assembly in Fiji on Tuesday, where he was welcomed by the President of Oceania National Olympic Committees (ONOC), Robin Mitchell, who is also an IOC Executive Board member.
Addressing representatives of the 17 National Olympic Committees from across the region and speaking about digitalisation, the President said that, in the future, digitalisation will be the "key challenge and opportunity facing the world of sport because it will change the world".
He highlighted two particular work streams: esports and egames; and artificial intelligence.
With regard to esports and egames, we cannot ignore the 3 billion people who are familiar with these games and are often not familiar anymore with sport and physical activity. We want to make an effort in this respect, whilst always adhering to our values of non-violence, non-discrimination, respect and tolerance. We have to approach this community and win them over.
Thomas Bach, IOC President
He informed the General Assembly that he had asked the IOC Esports Commission to study the creation of Olympic Esports Games.
Turning to artificial intelligence, President Bach said: “AI has the potential to change sport in every respect; from the training of athletes, to judging and refereeing, to the fight against doping, to the experience of spectators and solidarity in sport. There is huge potential, along with risks which have to be addressed. The Olympic Movement has to harness its benefits and understand its risks.”
He informed the Assembly that, next month, the IOC will present a vision on AI’s potential for sport, and he encouraged the representatives to dedicate a conference to this topic ahead of next year’s ONOC General Assembly, as a follow-up to and implementation of this vision for AI in sport.
Finally, he looked ahead to the Olympic Games Paris 2024, telling the Assembly that they would be “great Games”.
He told the representatives: “They will be great Games because, from the beginning, Paris has done what you are doing – it has embraced the message and the method and tools of Olympic Agenda: planning from the beginning in a sustainable way, in an inclusive way, in an urban way. And on top of this, the IOC has ensured that there will be an equal number of quota places for male and female athletes at the Olympic Games for the first time in our history.”
During the meeting, President Bach presented the IOC Gender Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Champion Award for Oceania to Olympian Patrick Johnson. The award recognises the outstanding work of inspiring changemakers who are committed to using their platform to promote the advancement of gender equality, diversity and inclusion in and through sport. Johnson’s work has been pivotal in ensuring that programmes foster the participation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island women in Olympic sports.
Also at the General Assembly with President Bach and ONOC President Mitchell were IOC First Vice-President John Coates, IOC Members Baklai Temengil and Auvita Rapilla, IOC Member and IOC Athletes’ Commission member Sarah Walker, and IOC Member and International Paralympic Committee President Andrew Parsons.
