After the solemn opening ceremony of the V Young Olympians International Forum, the President of the ROC answered questions from journalists.
– The Young Olympians International Forum is a landmark event for the entire sport community, – Stanislav Pozdnyakov stated. – Five years ago, the idea leaped in our minds to hold this event together with colleagues from RUSADA on International Children’s Day in order to give our Olympic reserve the necessary knowledge in clean sport, to draw attention to the unacceptability of doping and any other fraud to achieve results. Today we can state that the program of the Forum has gone far beyond the scope of anti-doping topics only.
A large number of seminars, round tables, panel sessions with the participation of well-known active athletes, coaches, and veterans of the Olympic movement are planned at the venues of the fifth Young Olympians International Forum. Colleagues from the ROC Innovation Center joined us.
The Forum gets new friends. This year, athletes from several African countries came to Moscow for the first time. I am glad that the geography of participants in our event is constantly expanding.
In addition, we were very lucky with the weather – today it made it possible to hold a wonderful opening ceremony of the Forum in the open air at the country’s major stadium in Luzhniki.
– The younger generation is concerned with the question of what will happen next with the Olympic Movement.
– I am sure that justice will prevail in the end. Russian and Belarusian athletes will certainly get the opportunity to compete under their own flags and anthems, including at the Olympic Games.
– Will they have enough motivation to overcome temporary difficulties?
– This is perhaps the key question for any athlete. Motivation determines career success, especially when it refers to the younger generation. Well-known Olympians who take an active part in our event are called to help the young participants of the Forum to strengthen their desire to go in for sports and strive for maximum results. The main task is to preserve the continuity of generations and the Olympic reserve. The future of sports Russia and the International Olympic Movement is also determined here and now.
