EOC President Announces New Sponsor for ViveMotion Programmes

EOC President Patrick Hickey recently announced that Samsung has concluded a sponsorship for the EOC´s project aimed at fighting obesity in Europe´s youth through its Get Up and Go Programme.

The infusion of funds from Samsung will go into delivering an anti-obesity programme to five European NOCs. These are the UK, Ireland, Italy, Croatia and Denmark. Italy will be a Schools Fitness for Life programme whilst the others will be After Schools Activity Programmes.

"What the NOCs will get is a higher profile in their country," he says of the exposure they will receive, "as part of a programme that is socially conscious and linked to the Olympics". He says many NOCs, especially some of the former Soviet republics, need a programme like this to increase their visibility.

"If this pilot programme is successful, it will go continent-wide," says Hickey "with terrific benefits for the youth of Europe as well as for the NOCs."

Guatemala Session Sees Launch of Youth Olympic Games

At its 2007 Session in Guatemala, the IOC has unanimously approved the establishment of the Youth Olympic Games, a concept aiming at arresting the decline in the interest of sport among the younger generation.

With the first edition planned for 2010, this is the "IOC´s investment in Youth" said IOC president Jacques Rogge, describing its approval as a "historic moment", whilst acknowledging that it will be challenging-but ultimately worthwhile!

The new event, featuring a summer and winter Games, targets athletes aged 14 to 18, who will participate in an adapted Olympic Games programme. This will be every four years, starting with the summer edition in 2010 and the winter Games in 2012. They are the first new multi-sport events to be created by the IOC since the Winter Olympics commenced in the 1920´s.

Over 3000 athletes are expected to take part in the 2010 Games, which will take place across 12 days in mid-August, and the bid process for them in now open.

Rogge said the Youth Olympic Games was the centrepiece of the IOC´s plans to help tackle the global child obesity problem and increase youth participation in sport. "The Youth Olympic Games are a unique and powerful introduction to Olympism", he told IOC members, "and a stepping stone to the Olympic Games". He said the IOC will be proactive in using new media channels such as blogs and social networking sites online-including YouTube and MySpace-to connect with youngsters.

Patrick Hickey, IOC member and president of the European Olympic Committee, said that the new event would also build on the success of the European Youth Olympic Festival.

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