By Justin Kor

The leadership of International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach was critical in pushing the Olympic Movement through the last two turbulent years of unprecedented challenges, said Mr Tan Chuan-Jin earlier today.

The Singapore National Olympic Council (SNOC) President hailed the role of Mr Bach as the sporting world was rocked by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We’ve had a rough start to the decade. Though there were challenging moments, the Olympic Movement pressed on and united through the Tokyo and Beijing Olympic Games, and sports,” he said in a lunch to welcome the visiting Mr Bach. It was the first SNOC large-scale social event organised since the pandemic started in 2020.

“President Bach, your leadership under such turbulent times provided a steady hand in steering us out of the storm.”

Mr Bach is making a one-day visit to Singapore, where he met national leaders and toured latest breakthroughs in virtual sports here amid a renewed vigour of the Olympic Movement worldwide.

This comes after more than two years of challenges to global elite sports because of the pandemic, which saw a year-long postponement of Tokyo 2020 and the pushing back of the 2022 Youth Olympic Games in Senegal by four years.

In the pursuit of peace

During Mr Bach’s visit, IOC Member and Vice-President Ng Ser Miang also lauded the President’s leadership through difficult times.

“Singapore has been an active member of the Olympic Movement and we thank President Bach for leading the Movement and holding firm to our values, our principles and our mission,” he said.

Mr Ng added that Mr Bach has been indefatigable in pushing for global unity through sports, with unwavering attempts in urging world leaders to promote peace in a divided world fractured by conflict.

“You asked them to give peace a chance and reaffirmed our values of peace, solidarity and non-discrimination in sport for whatever reason,” said Mr Ng.

At the opening ceremony of the Olympic Winter Games in Beijing in February, Mr Bach urged the world to find peace. “In our fragile world, where division, conflict and mistrust are on the rise, we show the world: yes, it is possible to be fierce rivals, while at the same time living peacefully and respectfully together,” he said. “This is the mission of the Olympic Games: bringing us together in peaceful competition. Always building bridges, never erecting walls. Uniting humankind in all our diversity. Give peace a chance.”

With the Russia-Ukraine conflict coming even as the world continued to grapple with the pandemic, the need for unity and solidarity has never been higher.

Mr Tan stressed in his speech to welcome Mr Bach: “The role of the Olympic Movement has never been more important in building bridges, and not walls, and in giving peace a chance in our world. He added that the forging ahead of the Tokyo Games during these dark times was the Olympic Movement’s “gift to the world”.

Of national symbols and local delights

From the moment Mr Bach’s plane landed on the tarmac of Changi Airport at 6am, he headed on a day-long whirlwind adventure around Singapore.

The morning saw him treated to a bevy of virtual sports demonstrations at the National Stadium, as he witnessed how taekwondo’s physicality and archery’s accuracy could all be honed digitally with the help of VR headsets and motion-tracking devices.

In the afternoon, he called on the Republic of Singapore’s President Halimah Yacob at the Istana, where the two dignitaries exchanged views. Mr Bach was joined by Mr Tan, Mr Ng and Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Edwin Tong.

An immersive experience of the Garden City followed, as he proceeded to the National Orchid Garden at Botanic Gardens, where an orchid was named in his honour. It was followed by a visit to Gardens by the Bay and a tree dedication at the popular tourist destination.

Of course, no Singaporean experience would have been complete without the food. While the lunch saw him enjoying local fare like satay and nonya kuehs, dinner was a feast of Singapore’s “world-famous” chili crab, as described by Mr Ng.

This is not Mr Bach’s first trip in Singapore. He was also here for the IOC Session in 2005 and the inaugural Youth Olympic Games in 2010, among others. Hopefully, more will follow, shared Mr Tan.

“I hope Singapore can continue to serve the Olympic Movement positively, perhaps to play host to more IOC events in the future, and to encourage and inspire many more generations of young Singaporeans to participate in this movement we have all benefited from,” he said.