Thomas Bach is ready for another term, IOC still to decide the venue for 2021 election meeting session
Various crises, including Corona, facing the world in general and sports in particular, notwithstanding, the IOC chief Thomas Bach has confirmed his intention to run for a second term. Bach, who became IOC President in 2013, said he would stand for re-election at next year's 137th IOC Session. The venue of the election session is still to be formalized. It may be in Greece.
It is likely the former Olympian German, who is eligible to hold the top office in the sport for a further four years once his term finishes in 2021, may run unopposed. Incidentally, the Olympic family is celebrating the 100th birth anniversary of its former chief Juan Antonio Samaranch, who guided the Olympic movement through challenging times of partial boycotts of 1980 Moscow and 1984 Los Angeles Olympic games.
Thomas Bach, too, had tough times in seeing the 2014 Winter Olympic Games (that were rocked by Doping scandal), 2016 Rio Olympic Games and 2018 Winter Olympic Games (after the North Korean threat of nuclear war led to the participation of a unified Korean contingent in the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics) through. It is during his time that the Olympics have witnessed the first-ever postponement because of the corona pandemic. Even the 2022 Youth Olympic Games, too, stand postponed till 2026.
The much-expected announcement was made by Bach himself during his speech at the first virtual IOC session on July 17. As the ninth IOC President, Thomas Bach got the strong backing of several members to seek re-election to the top sports post.
"If you, the IOC members want, I am ready to run for a second term as IOC President and to continue to serve you and this Olympic Movement which we all love so much," Bach said.
His announcement followed virtually an hour-long heaping of praise upon him by several IOC members. "I take your support more as an encouragement for the future to work even harder," Bach added. The Presidential election will take place at the first of two IOC Sessions planned for 2021.
The election is scheduled to be held during the 137th Session, awarded to Athens, in the spring, before a second gathering of the membership prior to the postponed Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. Members unanimously approved a proposal to stage two separate Sessions, including one for the Presidential election, at Friday’s virtual Session.
Bach, however, revealed that there was no guarantee the Greek capital would stage the Session - and the election. The election session, he said, may have to be held virtually depending on the coronavirus pandemic. "We will now have to speak with our Greek friends," Bach said.
"A vast majority of IOC members are longing for a Session in person, there Greece would have the first right and we will take up the discussions with them. "We have also been granted the right to look into the situation in the coming months, and then to decide whether this Session will take place in person, and where - hopefully in Greece - or whether we would have to organize a virtual Session." Also Read | ENG vs WI: Sachin Tendulkar praises Jason Holder for smart captaincy in Manchester Test
Thomas Bach, a lawyer by profession, became an IOC member at the age of 37 and has since remained associated with IOC in key roles, including a total of 11 years as a vice-president, before his elevation to the top job.
Bach succeeded Jacques Rogge (of Canada) as IOC President at the Session in Buenos Aires seven years ago after triumphing in the second round of voting. He received the most votes in the first round before defeating Puerto Rico's Richard Carrión, Ng Ser Miang of Singapore, Switzerland's Denis Oswald and Sergey Bubka of Ukraine in round two. -PTC News
