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O n October 27, 2023, the cente- nary of the Uruguayan Olym- pic Committee (COU) was com- memorated, chaired by Dr. Julio C.
Maglione.
The president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Thomas Bach, graced the event in Montevi- deo with his presence.
He addressed the media at a press conference saying: “The Olympic Games will be a great opportunity for the entire world to unite in a pacifist competition. In this divided world, a world with wars and confrontations, humanity needs an occasion to come together to dialogue and
make a contribution to
peace.” And he added: “The
athletes of the Olympic Vil-
lage are great ambassadors
of peace and friendship.”
Bach explained that in the
Olympic Village, athletes
from all over the world
“live together and in har-
mony” and “put aside the differences that divide the
world,” making the Olym-
pic Games “a great symbol
of peace”.
He said he hopes Paris 2024
will unite athletes from
around the world and add-
ed that the 2024 Games will
be the first with complete
gender equality. “The Uru-
guayan team will represent
its wonderful country as it
deserves and will contrib-
ute to the pacifist mission
of the Olympic Games,”
said Bach, who emphasised
By Ernesto Ortiz Gomez
that peace is much more than putting aside differences. “It is about creating a better world, in which everyone can prosper, in which all people are treated equally.”
The Olympic medalist in Montreal 1976 asserted that sport “is like the glue that unites communities” and allows people from diverse back- grounds “to establish connections and friendships.” He explained that “societies must look for ways to inte- grate migrants and refugees”, recall- ing that in 2016 the IOC created the Olympic Refugee Athletes Team.
“I want to take this opportunity to
express my gratitude to the Uruguay- an Olympic Committee for its par- ticipation in welcoming refugee ath- letes. This shows that solidarity runs through the veins of the Uruguayan Olympic community,” he stated. Finally, Bach greeted the COU for its hundred years and took the oppor- tunity to recognise “the enormous contribution to the Olympic move- ment” of its president, Julio César Maglione.
Later, the IOC president participat- ed in the presentation of the postage stamp commemorating the 100 years of the Uruguayan Olympic Com-
mittee, presented by the National Postal Adminis- tration.
The local government of Montevideo bestowed upon him the title of “Illus- trious Citizen” and he was received in the National Parliament by Vice Presi- dent Beatriz Argimón.
A gala dinner was held with special guests, government and sports authorities and the Circle of Sports Jour- nalists of Uruguay was in- vited as the representative entity of national sports journalism.
Our National Associa- tion was represented by Vice President Daniel Rodríguez of Canal 10 and radio El Espectador and Deputy Secretary Santiago Carbone, main editor of EFE agency in Uruguay.
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IOC President Bach guest of honour for Uruguayan Olympic Committee centenary celebrations
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