A big Olympic gathering started in Budva today – the 44th Seminar of the European Olympic Committee (EOC), which gathered representatives of all the national committees of the Old Continent, and which is hosted by the Montenegrin Olympic Committee (COK).
During two working days at the Splendid hotel, plenary sessions and workshops will discuss and discuss numerous current Olympic topics, and Montenegro is hosting such an important international sports and Olympic event for the first time.
“It is a great honor and pleasure for us to host our friends from all over Europe. For the Montenegrin Olympic Committee and for our country, this is an extremely important event and an opportunity to prove ourselves once again as worthy hosts of major international gatherings. The presence of representatives of almost all European national Olympic committees and many distinguished sports officials confirms the importance of this seminar as a key platform for dialogue and cooperation in European sports. Through an open exchange of experiences and ideas, we will work together to improve the sports system and promote Olympic values.” throughout Europe. The Olympic movement also opens up topics that are not the focus of the general public, which mostly accepts sports results. But, for the Olympic movement, sport is not a goal, but a means, which are provided by the Olympic Charter, the European Sports Agenda, and also in the United Nations charters. We pay close attention to these values, and will pay even more attention in the future,” said COK President.
Spiros Kapralos, president of the EOK, thanked the Montenegrin Olympic Committee for the exceptional hospitality and the excellently organized seminar.
“We are happy to be in Montenegro, in beautiful Budva, and we are grateful to the Montenegrin Olympic Committee for its organizational skills to prepare everything in the best possible way. I want to especially and personally congratulate President Dušan Simonović for his leadership role in the preparation of such a large seminar, in which almost 200 people participate. It is not easy, but it shows that the Olympic Committee has exceptional organizational capabilities, which was demonstrated in 2019, when he organized a beautiful sports event in an exceptional way. competition – the Games of the Small Countries of Europe”, said Kapralos.
Dragoslav Šćekić, Minister of Sports and Youth in the Government of Montenegro, emphasized that this is a unique opportunity for Montenegro to “dedicate ourselves to improving sports, exchanging ideas and creating new initiatives that will improve the Olympic movement in Europe”.
“Every new idea, every innovation, every change that we introduce through this seminar has the potential to shape the future of sports. This event is not only an opportunity to exchange experiences, but also to create new solutions that will lead our children, athletes and society to a better future”, Šćekić said.
The agenda of the seminar covered a wide range of relevant issues.
The first session was dedicated to the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, and Toshio Tsurunaga from the Department of Relations with Athletes and National Olympic Committees at the IOC, as well as Toni Estange, president of the Paris 2024 Organizing Committee, conveyed their impressions via video messages.
The report on the results of European sportsmen and women at the Games in Paris was presented by Peter Brul, EOK sports director, who proudly emphasized that 43 percent of the medals were won by male and female competitors from the countries of the Old Continent.
The delegates were also introduced to the activities of the Olympic Foundation for Refugees, and the IOC report on Olympic values was presented.
A significant part of the seminar was devoted to the research of the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in sports, which was discussed by Ilario Korna, Chief Information Technology Director of the IOC, and representatives of the companies Deloitte, Alibaba and Swiss Timing. The discussions highlighted the transformative potential of artificial intelligence in improving sports operations and athletes’ performance.
The day concluded with a practical presentation on sustainability management, given by Dr. Holger Preuss from the IOC Heritage and Sustainability Commission, and a presentation by Jacques Geffery, biathlete and ambassador for sustainability.
In the second part of the first working day, the seminar focused on sustainability and gender equality in sport, with presentations by Georgine Grenon from the Paris 2024 Organizing Committee, and Berit Kjoll and Annamarie Phelps from the EOK committee. These sessions emphasized the key role of sustainability in the Olympic movement and continued efforts to achieve gender equality in sports.
Discussions on the first day laid a strong foundation for the seminar’s objectives, providing valuable insights and encouraging constructive dialogue among participants.
“The correct use of artificial intelligence can bring great results. Regarding gender equality, at the Olympic Games in Paris we had an identical number of male and female athletes, but that is only the beginning. We do not have such equality in governing bodies, among coaches and judges, so we need to continue our efforts in this direction. When it comes to sustainability, we take care of our environment, and in sports we can do even more and be leaders in that area”, emphasized Spiros Kapralos, president of EOK.
On the second day of the 44th EOK Seminar, activities in the organization of the 17th Winter European Youth Olympic Games (EYOF), which will be held in Bakuriani (Georgia) from February 9 to 16, 2025, and the 18th Summer EYOF, hosted by Skopje from July 20 to 26, 2025, will be presented.
You will find photos from the Seminar attached to this email. Photo COK/Filip Roganović
The following link contains the statements of Dušan Simonović, president of COK, and Spiros Kapralos, president of EOK, as well as footage from the seminar: https://we.tl/t-7ezIGgZ3Ae
Statements are also available on the YouTube platform
