The United Nations and the
International Olympic Committee have signed a Memorandum of
Understanding to assist Sudanese athletes in participating at the Rio
2016 Olympic Games.
According to a statement on Thursday on the website of the
International Sports Press Association, leaders of both organisations
met at the IOC Headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland on Wednesday.
It said the IOC President, Thomas Bach, and the UN Secretary-General,
Ban Ki-moon, reviewed areas of collaboration between both
organisations.
The statement added that both bodies planned to assist Sudanese sports to come to the fore.
“The situation in Sudan, where war has forced millions of people from
their homes and pushed them to the brink of famine, necessitated the
rehabilitation programme through sports.
“IOC has started to work with the National Olympic Committee of Sudan, and the International Federations in the region.
“The aim is to identify and assist athletes with the potential of
qualifying for the Rio Games,” it quoted the
IOC President as saying.
The statement also said the IOC met with representatives of the
Sudanese NOC, and members of the South Sudanese Sporting Movement to
facilitate the programme.
It also quoted Bach as saying the MoU covered joint initiative in the Central African Republic.
“The project will involve more than 1,800 athletes and sports representatives.
“Sports as a tool for peace will also encourage political leaders to work towards finding peaceful solutions to conflicts.
“Concrete activities will include peace ‘caravans’, sports
competitions between neighbourhoods and regions, playing for ‘fair play
and peace’ trophies,” the statement said.
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