PARIS: International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach said at the Paris Games on Saturday he will not seek to remain in charge for a third term.
“New times are calling for new leaders,” the 70-year-old German lawyer, who has been in charge since 2013, told a session of IOC members in the French capital.
Bach said he was asked to stay in his role but insisted he would not attempt to extend his mandate by changing the Olympic charter that limits the president to a maximum of 12 years in the role.
“I know with this decision I am disappointing many of you... But it is in the best interests of our beloved Olympic movement,” he said.
His successor will be elected during the IOC’s 143rd session in Athens from March 18-21, 2025 and will take office the following June.
The jostling to succeed Bach will now begin, with some well-informed IOC watchers tipping Zimbabwean former swimmer Kirsty Coventry, 40, for the role.
Aruban Nicole Hoevertsz, a 60-year-old former synchronized swimmer and IOC vice president, has also been cited as a possible contender along with World Athletics chief Sebastian Coe, a British two-time Olympic gold medallist over 1,500m.
Bach, who won gold for West Germany in the foil fencing team event at the 1976 Olympics, was elected an IOC member at the age of 37 and went on to play a series of influential roles within the organization, notably as a founding member of the IOC’s Athletes’ Commission, before taking over from Jacques Rogge.
When he was elected in 2013, the Bavarian claimed to embody the renewal of Olympism — in particular with less expensive and more environmentally friendly Games — with the slogan “change or be changed.”
“This mantra also applies to myself,” he said, before pausing for a few moments, with tears in his eyes.
Bach has repeatedly voiced his opposition to sports boycotts, attempting to establish a watertight boundary between political conflicts and the Olympics.
The next president will be able to prepare for the future with peace of mind with the summer and winter Olympic Games awarded until 2034, with “significant” interest in the 2036 and 2040 editions, Bach said.
Olympics chief Thomas Bach says will not seek third term
https://arab.news/ruubh
Olympics chief Thomas Bach says will not seek third term
- “New times are calling for new leaders,” the 70-year-old German lawyer told a session of IOC members
- “I know with this decision I am disappointing many of you... But it is in the best interests of our beloved Olympic movement“
Ferhat stars as Mouloudia get CAF Champions League boost
- Muslim Anatouf scored after 15 minutes and a Ferhat thunderbolt on 44 minutes gave Mouloudia a two-goal half-time advantage
- It would have been an injustice if the Sudanese club had snatched a draw
JOHANNESBURG: Zinedine Ferhat created the first goal and scored the second for Mouloudia Alger of Algeria in a 2-1 win over Al Hilal of Sudan 2-1 on Friday that threw CAF Champions League Group C wide open.
Muslim Anatouf scored after 15 minutes and a Ferhat thunderbolt on 44 minutes gave Mouloudia a two-goal half-time advantage before a near-capacity crowd in the 45,000-seat Algiers stadium.
Hilal rarely threatened to reduce the deficit in a cauldron of cheering, singing and flag waving until Mauritanian Ahmed Salem M’Bareck netted with 13 minutes remaining.
Ghanaian substitute Kamaradini Mamudu had a late chance to bring Hilal level, but his header from a corner flew wide.
It would have been an injustice if the Sudanese club had snatched a draw, however, as they were outplayed by quicker, slicker Mouloudia for long periods of an often scrappy, foul-ridden match.
Despite losing for the first time in the group after two victories and two draws, Hilal retained first place with eight points.
Topping the table in the most competitive of the four groups is a remarkable achievement by Hilal given they have to stage home matches in Rwanda because of the ongoing Sudanese civil war.
Mouloudia had just one point after matchday three, but back-to-back home wins over Saint-Eloi Lupopo from the Democratic Republic of Congo and Hilal have lifted them to second with seven points.
Mamelodi Sundowns of South Africa have five points, one more than Lupopo, ahead of their clash in Lubumbashi on Sunday.
A win for Lupopo would leave Sundowns in danger of missing the knockout stage of the premier African club competition for only the second time since winning the 2016 final against Zamalek of Egypt.
In the final round on February 14, Hilal host Lupopo and Sundowns will have home advantage over Mouloudia, whose South African coach, Rhulani Mokwena, was formerly in charge of the Pretoria club.
