18 April 2024 - International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach welcomed a delegation from the National Olympic Committee (NOC) of Palestine led by its President, Jibril Rajoub, at Olympic House in Lausanne on Wednesday.
When welcoming the delegation, the IOC President said that the IOC’s thoughts are with the many innocent victims of the current conflict in the region and their families. He stressed that the IOC very much hopes a peaceful solution can be found as soon as possible.
During the meeting, President Bach reiterated how sport can give hope for peace. Both NOCs in the region, the NOC of Palestine and the NOC of Israel, are recognised by the IOC and operate with equal rights within the Olympic Movement. They have been living together in peaceful coexistence for decades.
Despite the tragic circumstances, Palestinian NOC President Jibril Rajoub reiterated his NOC’s commitment and efforts in ensuring the participation of a team from the NOC of Palestine in the upcoming Olympic Games Paris 2024. “Our athletes are looking forward to proudly representing the NOC of Palestine in Paris alongside all the other NOC teams from around the world,” he said.
President Bach reiterated that the IOC will continue to assist the NOC and its athletes as much as possible in their preparation and qualification for the Olympic Games Paris 2024, in particular through Olympic Solidarity programmes. He congratulated the NOC on the success of Omar Yaser Ismail, who is the first-ever Palestinian taekwondo athlete to qualify for the Olympic Games.
The IOC is also assisting a number of other Palestinian athletes actively trying to qualify for the Olympic Games Paris 2024. Among them is swimmer Valerie Tarazi, who was part of the NOC delegation visiting the IOC. She said she is fully determined to participate in the Games and to compete against the world’s best swimmers in Paris.
In this context, the question of invitations for Palestinian athletes as part of the universality quota places was discussed, but also the mid- and long-term perspective of how the IOC, through its Olympic Solidarity programmes, will support the best athletes from the NOC of Palestine during their preparation and qualification for the Olympic Games LA28 and beyond.
In addition, President Rajoub presented the Palestinian “Palestinian Sports Revival Plan” and asked the IOC for support. President Bach agreed that the IOC would coordinate an international effort to mobilise funding from various international contributors for this plan, which is aimed at rebuilding the destroyed sporting facilities on the territory of the Palestinian NOC. The plan sends a strong message of hope to the entire Olympic community in Palestine, from grassroots to elite.
