Skip to playerSkip to main content
CCNTV6
  • 9 months ago
We continue to roll out the candidates for the Presidency of the International Olympic  Committee. On Thursday, Jordan Olympic Committee President Prince Feisal Al Hussein outlined his plans if elected to the top spot at the end of the month.

Category

🗞
News
Transcript
00:00International Olympic Committee candidate from Jordan, Prince Faisal al-Hussein, boasts
00:05of an impressive background from holding positions in the Royal Jordanian Air Force, to being
00:10wrestling gold medalist in the USA Interstate Championships, and he was a former chairman
00:16of the Motorsport Executive Council of the Royal Automobile Club in Jordan.
00:21His manifesto speaks about his desire for upstanding ethical behavior, peace, and comprehensive
00:26marketing of the games.
00:28He shared his insight into solving the problem relating to an imbalance between competing
00:33nations as he spoke to journalists from around the world in an International Sports Press
00:37Association forum chaired by its president Gianni Merlo.
00:40My question today would be, what role do you think the IOC can play towards creating more
00:45consistent performances for developing countries in the Olympics?
00:50The last time my country would have won a medal was 8 years ago, so it's kind of obvious
00:55that developed countries have an advantage with regards to manpower, information systems,
01:01and technology as well.
01:03So what can the IOC do to even the playing field?
01:10Thank you for that question, Sergio.
01:12I come from a small NRC, so I'm very much sympathetic to the challenges that you face.
01:21And like when we're talking about some of the other questions in terms of how can we
01:26balance or try and level the playing field, whether it's issues of AI or other potential
01:33opportunities, the challenges right now is even Olympic solidarity, which is the traditional
01:43model that NRCs use to help support and fund athletes and to help them in their development.
01:51That in terms of real money, in real value, has not been changing very much.
01:57In fact, we're actually getting less.
01:59We have a 10% increase over the next quadrennial, which is four years, which is about 2% per year.
02:06I don't know what inflation is in your country, but I'm sure it is a lot higher than 2%.
02:11So in terms of real value, it is unfortunately shrinking.
02:18That's why, as I had spoken with Donna, what I would want to do or to focus on is how to
02:23make the pie bigger.
02:25We lose three top sponsors in a year, and that to me sent alarm bells.
02:34When I asked about it, they say, oh, well, you know, it's after Tokyo, the Japanese aren't
02:39interested.
02:40Well, one of them went to FIFA, the other one went to World Aquatics.
02:46So they still believe in the power of sports.
02:49As a result of the loss in sponsorship, he believes that there's not enough money to
02:52go around to help developing countries.
02:55So how do you make the pie bigger?
02:57I think I'm unique as a candidate in saying that one of the things I'm looking for as
03:02a president is to decentralize some of the functions of the International Olympic Committee.
03:11So not everything is based in Lausanne.
03:13I would look at co-locating NOC and marketing staff in the field with the continental associations,
03:22with international federations.
03:25He believes it's important to bring sponsors closer to the grassroots.
03:28The advantage also is that when we're looking with sponsors, if the top sponsors know they
03:33have a field office at the continental level, let's say top sponsors want to do or want
03:42to promote something in a particular region.
03:45They could use those continental associations to say, OK, what do you have as NOC, national
03:51federation, international federation?
03:54What are your projects in this country because we're interested in doing something?
03:58Which means they're investing in the grassroots.
04:01They're investing in those communities because they want to make a difference.
04:07With an eye on integrity, imagination and inclusion, Al Hussein wants to win the race
04:12for IOC presidency, whether it be by an inch or a mile.
Be the first to comment
Add your comment