2nd ANOC Sports Technical Directors Seminar

(Jordan, 19th March 2023) The ANOC in collaboration with the Jordan Olympic Committee (JOC) is organizing the 2-day 2nd ANOC Sports Technical Directors Seminar on Sunday, 19th March 2023 and Monday, 20th March 2023, in Dead Sea, Jordan.

The main objective of the organization of the Seminar by the ANOC is to put forward an open discussion to share and exchange the best practices among the NOCs in preparation for their participation in the upcoming Olympic Games based on their experiences in both the XXXII Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 and the XXIV Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022.

The first edition of the Seminar was held in Lisbon, Portugal in November 2022. This being the second edition of the Seminar was participated by 60 delegates from 38 NOCs selected by the ANOC.

The Seminar kicked off with an opening remark by Mrs. Gunilla Lidberg, the Secretary General of the ANOC, followed by a welcome message by Mr. Nasser Majali, the Secretary General of the JOC.

The first-day of the Seminar focused on two (2) topics as follows:

1. Lessons learned from Tokyo 2020 and Beijing 2022 and concerns for upcoming Games.

2. Overloaded International Sports Calendar, Perspective of Sports Director, Coach and Athlete. Olympic Qualification Pathway and the increase in the costs for the athletes to reach the Games. Is the athlete’s well-being at the centre of the decision-making process? The new sports in the program and the Paris 2024 IOC managed Olympic qualification events.

Three (3) NOCs were invited to present their cases based on the two (2) topics above and followed by break-out group discussions to formulate a simple resolution for the ANOC to be tabled to the IOC.

Mr. Fong Wan Hor, the General Manager of OCM, was invited by the ANOC, to be among the three (3) participants to do the NOC Presentations based on Topic 1 alongside with Mrs. Joyce Ardies of NOC Brazil and Mr. Andri Stefansson of NOC Iceland.

“On behalf of our NOC President, Dr. Norza Zakaria, we would like to thank the ANOC for inviting the small NOC, like Malaysia, to present our points of views with regard to the challenges faced by us in preparing for our participation in the Olympic Games”,

“The effort by the ANOC is noble as it has ensured that the voices of smaller NOCs will be heard by the IOC” stated Mr. Fong Wan Hor.

Mr. Fong Wan Hor specially mentioned the unique solidarity between NOC Malaysia and NOC Thailand in his presentation for a special assistance provided by the Chef de Mission of NOC Thailand, Dr. Varin Tansuphasiri, who is a medical doctor, during the Beijing Winter Olympics, when an injured athlete of Malaysia was unable to access to the medical facilities in the Olympic Village. Mr. Fong also took the opportunity to thank the ANOC for having initiated the “ANOC Photo Program for NOCs” to support smaller NOCs for the first time during the Beijing Winter Olympics.

Ms. Celine Deslauriers of NOC Canada, Mr. Alvaro Rosset of NOC Argentina and Mr. Leon Fleiser of NOC South Africa, were invited to do the NOC Presentations based on Topic 2.

The Seminar will continue with two (2) more interesting topics for discussions on Monday, 20th March 2023.

Photo Credit: Jordan Olympic Committee (JOC)