The desire to make things happen is intensifying on the side of the IOC. This Thursday, IOC President Thomas Bach sent a letter to the Olympic Movement to inform it of the next steps in relation to humanitarian aid for Ukrainian athletes.
Bach asked Sergei Bubka, the president of the Ukrainian Olympic committee and former pole vault world record holder, to coordinate humanitarian aid for his athletes.
“In response to the current humanitarian crisis in Ukraine, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the National Olympic Committee (NOC) of Ukraine have been deeply touched by the outpouring of solidarity shown by the stakeholders of the Olympic Movement, writes in preamble Thomas Bach. Many National Olympic Committees and International Federations (IFs), as well as their member federations, have already launched initiatives to help Ukrainian athletes in exile, whatever their level, which we welcome and encourage. »
Bach continues: “We must, where possible, not only reinforce the assistance already provided, but also ensure that it is effectively coordinated. This is why the IOC has urgently asked Mr. Sergii Bubka, President of the NOC of Ukraine and IOC member, to come to Lausanne immediately in order to coordinate all aspects of the humanitarian aid that will be brought to the community. Ukrainian Olympic. With the support of Olympic Solidarity in Lausanne and his team at the NOC in Ukraine, Mr. Bubka will direct the allocation and distribution of the solidarity fund to the Olympic community and the Ukrainian sports movement. »
To help, the IOC wants to collect information on the location “where the members of the Ukrainian Olympic community are”. And this in order to be able to provide them with the most effective assistance possible.
