Bach receives Leon Richards
Havana, June 17 (JIT) - The president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Thomas Bach, received Roberto León Richards, head of the Cuban Olympic Committee, at his offices in Lausanne, Switzerland.
The dialogue of a little more than 30 minutes addressed a variety of topics, among which stood out the transmission of greetings on behalf of the Cuban people, the national sports movement and especially the First Secretary of the Party and President of the Republic, Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez.
Richards took advantage of the cordial meeting to reiterate the invitation to Bach to visit Cuba in 2023 or 2024, the latter year when his current mandate as head of the IOC is due to end.
A first invitation was extended in 2019, but the arrival of the covid-19 pandemic and the postponement of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games prevented the meeting in this capital.
It should be recalled at this point that previous presidents of the IOC, namely the Spanish Juan Antonio Samaranch and the Belgian Jacques Rogge, visited the island on the occasion of important sporting events.
Richards thanked the letter sent by Bach during the COC General Assembly in this 2022, and responded to questions from the German leader about the situation in Cuba and the circumstances in which the athletes of the island are preparing.
The COC president offered extensive information on how the country is facing the current difficult situation, intensified by the covid-19, the world economic crisis and especially by the blockade imposed by the U.S. government. He insisted that government support for sports activities is being maintained and that Cuba is preparing for the fundamental challenges of the Olympic cycle that will end in Paris 2024.
Another topic on the agenda was the invaluable contribution made by the Olympic solidarity programs of the IOC and Panam Sports, even in the midst of the current global conditions. Bach reiterated that this is what Olympic Solidarity should be doing.
In this sense, Richards ratified the will of solidarity of Cuba and its sport, enhanced by the work of doctors, trainers and other professionals.
As a gesture of friendship and admiration, the COC president presented a typical Cuban guayabera, which Bach thanked with visible joy and satisfaction.
Richards is in Lausanne at the invitation of the International Sailing Federation, which is working on the development of world events in the LSS class.
His agenda includes visits to the headquarters of the Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC) and the World Baseball Softball-Softball Confederation (WBSC).
