ANOC Assembly Honours Sheikh Saud with Order of Merit Award
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Five to six teams in prime position to win QSL: Hanni PAGE 13 FRIDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2019 ANOC Assembly honours Sheikh Saud with Order of Merit award TRIBUNE NEWS NETWORK OTHER ANOC AWARDEES DOHA Best Male and Female Athletes of Asian Games 2018 THE International Olympic Chen Yile, China, Gymnastics (Female); Ali al Khorafi, Kuwait, Equestrian (Male) Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach awarded HE Best Male and Female Athletes of European Games 2019 the Assistant Chief of the Dina Averina, Russian Federation, Gymnastics (Female); Mauro Nespoli, Italy, Archery (Male) Amiri Diwan Sheikh Saud bin Best Male and Female Athletes of African Games 2019 Abdulrahman al Thani the ANOC Order of Merit during Erin Gallagher, South Africa, Swimming (Female); Sydney Siame, Zambia, Athletics (Male) the ANOC General Assembly Best Male and Female Athletes of Pan American Games 2019 2019 on Thursday. Mariana Pajon, Colombia, BMX (Female); Julio Cesar La Cruz, Cuba - Boxing (Male) Sheikh Saud became the first Qatari to receive the Order Best Male and Female Athletes of Pacific Games 2019 of Merit from the Association of Toea Wisil, Papua New Guinea, Athletics (Female); Brandon Schuster, Samoa, Swimming (Male) National Olympic Committees. The Association of Na- ANOC Award for Outstanding Performance tional Olympic Committees Katarina Witt, Germany, Figure Skating (ANOC) was established in ANOC Award for Outstanding Athlete June 1979 during the Consti- tutive General Assembly in Yasuhiro Yamashita – Japan San Juan, Puerto Rico. ANOC Award for Outstanding Lifetime Achievement The organisation’s pur- Sam Ramsamy – South Africa pose is to manage the general affairs of the National Olym- pic Committees, to give them their support, advice, cooper- ation, and recommendations for their development. The ANOC Awards were created in order to recognise the achievements of the NOCs and their athletes as well as distinguished members of the Olympic Family. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach honoured HE the Assistant Chief of the Amiri Diwan Sheikh Saud bin Abdulrahman Held each year, the event al Thani with the ANOC Order of Merit. He is the first Qatari to receive the Order of Merit from the Association of National Olympic Committees. is an opportunity for the world’s NOCs come together an evening celebrating sport. sporting events that have The sixth edition of the Village on the opening day in a relaxed and entertain- The awards presented each taken place that year and are annual awards ceremony took of the two-day XXIV ANOC ing environment and enjoy year vary depending on the decided by the ANOC jury. place at the Katara Cultural General Assembly. Qatar gets all-round praise for wonderful inaugural ANOC World Beach Games TRIBUNE NEWS NETWORK ANOC from Lausanne, cannot Mitchell to continue as ANOC Acting President; DOHA do this directly,” he added. QOC President Sheikh Members show solidarity with Sheikh Fahad, THE Association of National Joaan welcome all the guests Olympic Committees (ANOC) in the ANOC GA and said: decided not to hold the presi- “Sport holds a major place in presidential election put off for now dential election till the court hearts of the Qatari people. We case involving its president are always working to spread Sheikh Ahmad al Fahad al Sa- and consolidate the Olym- bah is decided. In the absence pic Movement not only in the of the Kuwaiti official, Robin region but also in the world Mitchell of Fiji will continue by hosting a large number of as the Acting President. sporting activities every year. About 1,000 representa- QOC Secretary-General Jassim Rashid al Buenain and QOC Director “The QOC has the same vi- tives of 204 National Olympic Sports Affiars Khalil al Jabir during the ANOC General Assembly. sion, the same ambition and Committees and global sports the same concerns as the IOC, federations took part as the ority. He started with, “I would for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics ANOC and their members. We two-day ANOC General As- first like to thank Qatar for and defended the IOC’s deci- wish to continue working with sembly began at Hotel Shera- the wonderful hospitality and sion to shift the venues of mar- you to provide bigger momen- ton here on Thursday. organisation. To be here for athon and walk event to Sap- tum to the Olympic Movement Also present on the oc- the second time in two weeks poro. “The temperature has in the world in general and in casion were International is also very special. I would increased over the past couple this region particularly. We Olympic Committee President have preferred to have stayed of years,” Bach explained. are proud to host the first edi- Thomas Bach and QOC Presi- in Doha after the IAAF World “We have to put athletes tion of the ANOC World Beach dent His Excellency Sheikh Championships here, but I did first. We have demonstrated Games and are looking for- Joaan bin Hamad al Thani. not receive a wildcard. this yesterday by moving ward to more such opportuni- It is worth mentioning here “I had to go back to Laus- the marathon and race walk ties to boost the Olympic spirit. that Sheikh Fahad had with- anne to see some other NOC events to Sapporo, in order to We’re pleased to host all the drawn himself as the ANOC delegates.... ”. protect their health and the guests during the World Beach President last year after being The World Beach well-being.. It is five to Games, ANOC General Assem- charged in a Geneva court for Games officially six degrees cooler bly and ANOC Awards.” alleged fraud case. He was sure began on Octo- in Sapporo. This ANOC Secretary-General to be elected unopposed as the ber 12, while the is a significant Gunilla Lindberg expressed ANOC president for another IAAF worlds and important gratitude to the QOC on be- term till 2022. had ended on step to do eve- half of the world organization Sheikh Fahad chose to October 7. rything in fa- by saying, “The contract with step down and fight the legal “This year vour of athletes’ Qatar for the ANOC World battle after terming the affair we are also cel- health.” Beach Games was signed on as “politically motivated by ebrating 115th With that in June 23, so there was a very his rivals in Kuwait.” anniversary of mind, Bach urged little time to prepare for this The members of the ANOC the Olympic Games, NOCs to give impor- event and we are very grateful showed their solidarity with founded in 1895 by Pierre tance to athletes first. to the Local Organising Com- Sheikh Fahad and decided to De Coubertin. In 1896 “I want to make an ap- mittee, as well as the National postpone the presidential elec- there were just athletes peal on you once again Olympic Committees and ath- tion for the time being, waiting from 14 countries, today we that please put your effort to letes,” said Lindberg. for the the case is resolved. are here in Doha, with 206 support athletes inside your The ANOC Secretary Gen- Mitchell also heaped Olympic Committees in all committees. It is absolutely eral added: “The change was praise on Qatar for its ‘great our diversities. This shows necessary to be more trans- a very difficult decision, but organisational capabilities’ what we have accomplished parent, by providing facilities very necessary for financial for the ANOC World Beach in these years and we look and making everyone aware, and organisational reasons. Games 2019, which shows the forward to Tokyo 2020 with to keep up our principles. We had no alternative. Three impact we can achieve if we all great confidence, as I have “We are distributing this months before the event we work together.” never seen a city so well pre- money to you for the devel- started from scratch with new IOC boss Bach, in his key- pared at one year from host- opment of sport and athletes facilities. But we had a great note address, stressed on the ing the Games,” said Bach. in your country, because you first edition and we wish to importance of unity in diversi- The IOC head also backed know best its cultural and thank the QOC for the won- The XXIVth ANOC General Assembly in progress at Sheraton Doha on Thursday. ty and giving athletes top pri- Tokyo for superb preparations economic peculiarities. We, derful games.” Sports Friday, October 18, 2019 11 QOC signs MoUs with a number of National Olympic Committees Cooperation agreement also signed with Kuwait Olympic Committee QNA DOHA QATAR Olympic Commit- tee (QOC) signed Memo- randums of Understanding (MoUs) with a number of National Olympic Commit- tees, on the sidelines of the ANOC World Beach Games Qatar 2019 on Thursday. QOC signed separate MoUs with the Nation- al Olympic committees of Austria, Japan and Hungary. The MoUs were signed HE Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad al Thani, President of the Qatar Olympic by HE Sheikh Joaan bin HE Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad al Thani, President of the Qatar Olympic Committee after signing a Memorandum of Understanding with the Japan Committee, with President of Greek Olympic Committee. Hamad al Thani, Presi- Olympic Committee in Doha on Thursday. dent of the Qatar Olympic Committee, and the heads of the National Olympic Committees of Austria, Ja- pan and Hungary. In a related context, a HE Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad joint cooperation agree- al Thani, President of the ment was also signed be- Qatar Olympic Committee, tween the QOC and the with President of Kuwait Kuwait Olympic Commit- Olympic Committee Sheikh tee with the Aspire Sports Fahad al Nasser al Sabah, Academy. and President of Aspire The signing ceremony Zone Eng.