The 52nd European Olympic Committees (EOC) General Assembly was officially opened by President Spyros Capralos at the beginning of a first day filled with discussions on a wide-ranging number of topics in Istanbul.
President Capralos thanked Prof Dr Uğur Erdener, President of the Turkish Olympic Committee, for hosting the EOC in Türkiye at the start of his report, before focusing on the busy 2023 that the EOC has enjoyed and the efforts of each National Olympic Committee (NOC) in ensuring that all events were of a high standard.
President Capralos said: “This has been the busiest year that the European Olympic Committees have ever had and we have held extremely successful events that have elevated the level of European sport, with the best European athletes competing in well organised competitions.
“Our first priority is always to serve our athletes and I believe we can be proud of the way we have done this together. This has been achieved with the assistance of both European and in some cases, International Sports Federations, and of course the NOCs of Europe. We have improved the image of the EOC and our events. And we have achieved all of this within strict budget constraints.”
Prof Dr Erdener thanked the EOC for hosting the General Assembly in Istanbul and spoke about the power sport has to bring communities together in line with the Olympic Values and Spirit.
Prof Dr Erdener said: “It is my great pleasure to address you and I extend my warmest welcome to each and every one of you as you represent the diversity and passion that defines European sports.
“Sports with its capacity to nurture and to understand tolerance and piece has a unique power to bring people together in pursuit of excellence. In a world often divided by differences, we gather here in the Olympic spirit, which encourages us to bring the best out of each other.
“I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to you for dedication and unwavering belief in transformative power of the Olympic movement. With optimism and enthusiasm, I hope that the 52nd GA will charter the course to a bright, more inclusive and more inspiring future for European sports.”
The General Assembly heard a number of key reports from areas of work over the past year, including information from EOC Secretary General Raffaele Pagnozzi, EOC treasurer Peter Mennel, Chair of the EOC Strategic Agenda 2030 Working Group Djordje Visacki and the chairs of the seven other EOC Commissions.
Final reports on the 2023 Winter and Summer European Youth Olympic Festivals (EYOF) were read, which highlight the success of both games, while there was a progress report on the EYOFs scheduled for 2025 in Bakuriani, Georgia, and Skopje, North Macedonia. The Organising Committee for the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026 also presented their latest plans to the delegation.
Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC) Secretary General Gunilla Lindberg delivered a report focused on the cancellation of the ANOC World Beach Games 2023 and other ANOC initiatives, before International Olympic Committee (IOC) Director of NOC relations department, Olympic solidarity and Olympism365 James MacLeod presented on behalf of the IOC.
Voting for the summer Piotr Nurowski Prize was conducted during the day with all five shortlisted athletes presented to the delegation and Mr Otto Flum (AUT), Ms Susanna Rahkamo (FIN), Mr Zoltan Molnar (HUN), Mr Carlo Mornati (ITA) and Ms Marijke Fleuren (NED) were all awarded EOC Olympic Laurels’ Awards.
The General Assembly will resume on Saturday with IOC President Thomas Bach opening proceedings and a number of panels reflecting on the European Games Krakow-Malopolska 2023.
