Tan Sri Dato’ Sri (Dr.) Mohamad Norza Zakaria paid a courtesy call to the IOC President, Dr. Thomas Bach

(Lausanne, 8th November 2022)
The President of OCM, Tan Sri Dato’ Sri (Dr.) Mohamad Norza Zakaria, paid a courtesy call to the President of IOC, Dr. Thomas Bach, at the Olympic House, in Lausanne, Switzerland.

Tan Sri Dr. Norza, who was elected as the sixth President of OCM in 2018, is making his first courtesy call to the President of IOC. He was accompanied by the Assistant Secretary General of OCM, Ms. Moira Tan Siew See and the General Manager of OCM, Mr. Fong Wan Hor.

The main objective of the courtesy call is to strengthen the bilateral relationship between the IOC and OCM. Tan Sri Dr. Norza took the opportunity to update the President of IOC on the new initiatives by the OCM for the Olympic Movement such as the inception of the “Olympic Carnival” in the month of June since 2018, the partnership with other NOCs in the celebration of the worldwide Olympic Day and the proposed construction of a new Olympic House, which will be a green and smart building with sustainable architecture in Kuala Lumpur.

The courtesy call to the President of IOC included a programme planned by the IOC such as a visit to the Olympic Museum and several meetings with the IOC senior personnel as follows:
1. IOC Director General – Mr. Christophe De Kepper,
2. Director of NOC Relations and Olympic Solidarity – Mr. James Macleod,
3. Associate Director of Olympic Solidarity – Mr. Olivier Niamkey,
4. Associate Director of NOC Relations, Institutional Relations & Governance – Mr. Jerome Poivey,
and a few Continental Managers and Project Managers.

The President of IOC was very impressed with the initiatives and the dynamic approach of Tan Sri Dr. Norza and he has assured full support from the IOC and the Olympic Solidarity to develop, promote and protect the Olympic Movement in Malaysia.

“One of the important missions of the IOC is to provide assistance and support to all the NOCs because the stronger the NOCs, the stronger the IOC will be in the global Olympic Movement” stated Dr. Thomas Bach.

Tan Sri Dr. Norza took the opportunity to congratulate the IOC under the leadership of Dr. Thomas Bach for the successful organization of the two (2) Olympic Games namely XXXII Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 and the XXIV Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022 within the period of the height of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Tan Sri Dr. Norza also briefed the IOC Director General, Mr. Christophe De Kepper and his team of IOC officers on the modernization initiatives taken by him to inject professionalism into the management of OCM and wishes to engage the IOC actively to pursue his modernization agenda.

“I have had fruitful discussions with the IOC President, Director General and several other senior personnel for the further enhancement of the Olympic Movement and Values in Malaysia” stated Tan Sri Dr. Norza.