Kuwait City, Kuwait, September 30, 2021: The Chair of the Olympic Council of Asia Entourage Committee, IOC Member Ryu Seung-min of Korea, has thanked the Asian sports community for protecting the Olympic dreams of its athletes at Tokyo 2020.
Addressing an online meeting of the OCA Entourage Committee on Thursday, the four-time table tennis Olympian said the concerted efforts of all parties concerned had led to a successful event in Tokyo amidst such challenging times.
“Despite this long-lasting covid-19 pandemic, athletes and entourage members fully supported, in their best capacity, to deliver a safe and secure Olympic Games Tokyo 2020,” he said.
“So, I would like to appreciate all the hard work and full support for Asian athletes and entourages to protect the athletes’ dream and passion to have a chance to be an Olympian.”
Ryu, who won table tennis gold at Athens 2004, silver at London 2012 and bronze at Beijing 2008, has been an IOC Member since 2016. He was elected Vice Chair of the IOC Athletes’ Commission on the sidelines of Tokyo 2020 in August and was congratulated on this achievement by members of the Entourage Committee on Thursday.
The meeting focused on gender balance, the rights and responsibilities of athletes and entourages and on safeguarding – points which Ryu described as “really crucial responsibilities” for the OCA Entourage Committee members and entourages.
The agenda also included a Tokyo 2020 debrief, preparations for the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics next February, with Playbooks due in October and December, and an update on the OCA activities and upcoming multi-sport games in 2022 and 2023.
The OCA’s Director of International and NOC Relations, Mr Vinod Kumar Tiwari, said the OCA had written to all National Olympic Committees to encourage them to send as many female athletes as possible to the next Asian Games in Hangzhou, China in September 2022 because there was no qualification system. The OCA believes this will increase the profile of women in sport throughout the continent as well as lead to gender equity and lay the foundations for further female participation in the future.
Summing up the meeting, Chairman Ryu said it would be a good idea to increase the awareness of the rights and responsibilities of the athletes’ entourages by organising an education programme or a webinar or seminar led by the OCA.
“We all know about the entourages but we don’t know really well about the specific laws of entourages because entourages are getting bigger than before.
“When I was an athlete, they had some coaches and officials - only this – but, this time, parents are actively engaged, managers and doctors, lawyers even, and sports agencies, so the rights and responsibilities are getting bigger. Some brainstorming will be needed.”