Mumbai: International Olympic Committee (IOC) vice-president Juan Antonio Samaranch smiles while talking about being involved with the apex sports body for over two decades and “exposed to this world as a child”. So, for him running for its presidency in next week’s election is a “privilege”.
In this interview with HT, the Spaniard, son of the late Juan Antonio Samaranch, IOC president from 1980 to 2001, discusses India’s universal appeal in the Olympic movement, its 2036 Games bid and climate change possibly forcing the Games to shift timeframes.
Excerpts:
Staging an Olympics is an expensive exercise. We’ve seen countries pull out of hosting the Commonwealth Games because of that. How can it be addressed?
This issue became obvious a decade ago, that we were seeing a lack of interest or a lack of possibility by many territories and cities to organise the Games. We even found ourselves with only two candidates for the 2024 Games, but both very strong. The team back then was courageous enough to double award the Games to Paris (2024) and LA (2028). The situation today is different. Many territories, not least India, are pushing to organise the Games for 2036 or 2040. With the Agenda 2020 and 2020+5, which made it less expensive and more reasonable to organise the Games, we’re going into a new world, one that makes more financial sense now.
Your views on India bidding for the 2036 Olympics.
We claim to be a universal organisation. There is no universality nowadays without India, and it stepping up and taking its rightful place in the Olympic movement. This means Olympic teams, medals, organising Olympic events and eventually the Games. The final decision of the Olympics will be taken by the IOC governance body. But certainly, candidacy from India means very good news for the world. It means that you are coming, and we are happy to give a helping hand so you can take your rightful place in the Olympic movement.
Historically India hasn’t played a strong role in the Olympic movement, nor does it win the number of medals other top nations do. What does India offer in growing the movement?
India is a mosaic of culture and traditions… It’s not only about winning medals, which, of course, is necessary. India will have to fight and step up the game in training and getting your teams to world-class level. But it’s also about India representing a significant part of the society and world youth. We need you.
India looks to build many new venues from scratch, unlike Paris where most were existing or temporary. Is that ideal from the IOC objective of conservation?
Listen, the Olympic Games are not about building venues. What we really don’t want is that any candidate city is based on building huge infrastructure projects that are already not embedded in the long-term development plans of the community. We go there for 16 days, for Christ’s sake! That infrastructure has to be there for 100 years. We can go anywhere, and we will adapt. But we also have good examples of development projects — in London 2012, Barcelona 1992 and many others — where a lot of money was invested, and those projects got the energy and focus thanks to the Olympics. That is fine with us. I don’t have anything against building new stadiums. But let’s make sure that that stadium is going to serve society and the local community for decades. If a project brought to us has significant doubts of the investment legacy being real, we would not like that project. It’s clear.
Among IOC’s critical criterion is for the NOC to have its house in order. India has some issues there at present.
I’ve been travelling to your country frequently and have met a number of officials. I’m sure these things will get resolved. Because it is necessary. It has to be done.
The threat of climate change is staring at the Olympics. Do you see a scenario where the period of staging the Summer Games may have to be moved?
I’ve been clear in my manifesto that we cannot exclude 1.5 billion (affected) people of the world from celebrating the Games because of climate change. Climate will not adapt to the current world sports calendar, so we will need to adapt the it to the climate. We will have to make sure no territory plays at a disadvantage in the race to organise the Olympics (due to climate). So yes, if necessary, we will need to change the dates of the Olympics.
You’ve been part of the IOC for long, currently vice-president. What are the biggest challenges for the movement in the current times?
The first thing is to continue to keep the Games strong and relevant in the next editions. Then, you have to make sure that in this complicated world full of tension and new realities that our claim to universality continues to be our reason to exist. If today it’s more difficult to work on those principles, it means it’s more important than ever before that we continue to work hard to uphold these values. And thirdly, all this will require increased financing.
