After Paris, Rome. Thomas Bach spent the start of the week in the Italian capital. On Wednesday October 5, the IOC President was one of the distinguished guests of an event of an unusual kind, the first World Conference “Sport and Faith”, initiated and organized by the Vatican. He was called to the podium to deliver an inauguration speech, a privilege shared with Pope Francis, host of the event, and the UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon. Very respectable trilogy.
For the record, the event was held in the Paul VI Hall of the Vatican. In the audience, 7.000 people according to the organizers. Among them, Virginia Raggi, the mayor of Rome, whose rag doll must undoubtedly be pricked with needles near Lausanne, for having sent the Italian candidacy for the 2024 Games to oblivion. Thomas Bach did not meet her . “I don’t know her,” he confessed.
Respectful of the tone of the day, Thomas Bach spoke about sport and religion, sport and youth, sport and humanity. “ Like faith, sport teaches us the importance of living in solidarity and peace with our fellow human beings, suggested the IOC President. One of the many values shared by sport and faith is respect for the dignity and equality of all human beings. » Then Thomas Bach listened to Ban Ki-moon thank him publicly, from the podium, for his initiative to invite a team of refugee athletes to the Rio Games.
Star of the day, Pope Francis did not deviate from a speech in perfect agreement with the place and the circumstance. He assured that sport was “necessary for the integral development of man. » He returned to the Paralympic Games to emphasize how this event played “a decisive role in helping the public recognize and admire the performances of athletes” with disabilities. Playing sport, he said, “is learning to be a team, to know how to win and also to know how to lose. »
Not a word about Rome's aborted bid for the 2024 Games. At least publicly. Logical and predictable. Behind the scenes, however, Thomas Bach did not completely avoid the question. On the eve of the opening of the Vatican Conference, he spoke with Giovanni Malago, the president of CONI. A meeting during which the IOC President, by his own admission, “learned a lot” about the rules and mysteries of Italian politics.
But, cautiously, the German leader was careful not to enter with both feet into a debate from which he believes that the IOC must stay away. “The discussion is political, it concerns Italy,” said Thomas Bach, quoted by Associated Press. As you know, the IOC remains politically neutral. We will therefore not intervene in the debate. To be completely frank, I don't think this topic (Rome's bid for the 2024 Games) has much to do with the Olympics. The impression I have is that all this is mainly an internal matter in Italian politics. »
Coincidence or not, Giovanni Malago announced that he would hold a press conference on Tuesday October 11. It will be dedicated to Rome 2024. It could be the very last.
