IOC PRESIDENT THOMAS BACH GIVES A MID YEAR OVERVIEW ON WHAT THE IOC HAS ACHIEVED AND OUTLINES PLANS FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF OLYMPIC PROGRAMMES THAT REFLECT GENDER EQUALITY, YOUTH CULTURE AND NEW TECHNOLOGY

STORY SCRIPT

IOC President looks forward to the future with overview of Olympic Games in Tokyo in 2020, a look at the candidature process for 2026 with interested cities /regions from 5 countries still in the race (Canada, Italy, Japan, Sweden, Turkey) – looks at the plan to have the Youth Olympic Games in Africa in 2022 with Botswana, Nigeria, Senegal and Tunisia bidding.

He also takes a look at how the fundamental reform programme for the Olympic Movement is taking shape and already delivering on gender equality and reaching out and bringing sport to youth with an eye on Esports.

President Bach says he is looking forward to taking sport closer to the people ­ starting in Tokyo 2020, where the programme will reflect the recommendations of the Olympic Agenda 2020 to embrace the ever­changing landscape and keep the Games relevant to a new generation of Olympic sports fans.

Bach said: “The Olympic programme and Tokyo 2020 promises to be more urban, more female and much younger than the programmes before. This is indeed great progress by having an urban centre, sport goes where the people are. We do not any longer retreat to a stadium and then wait for people to come, we go into the centres of the city we go where people would usually move around, making sport and the Olympic competition a part of their daily experience.”