Education, Not Money, At The Heart of The Olympics

It seems that my sometimes cynical remarks about money being the driving force of the Olympics are wrong, that is at least the belief of Jacques Rogge president of the International Olympics Committee (IOC).

Rogge, who was opening the World Forum on Sport Education and Culture in Beijing, said that education remained at the heart of the Olympic movement with millions of Chinese youngsters now being introduced to its values.

Rogge noted that the IOC had a duty to educate the world's youth on matters such as doping and even some not directly related to sport, such as HIV prevention.

Quote:

"The goal of the Olympic movement is to contribute to building a peaceful and better world by educating youth through sport practiced in the spirit of Olympism.

I am particularly pleased that this effort is being continued right now in China and that millions of young Chinese ...are being introduced to the strength and power of the Olympic values such as friendship, excellence and respect."

Liu Qi, head of the Beijing Organising Committee (BOCOG), said that the exposure of China to the rest of the world in 2008 would be an education in itself.

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"Through the staging of the Olympic Games, we are willing to further reinforce the exchange with international friends and accelerate the development of China and Beijing to leave a precious legacy to China and world sports."

Rogge went on to warn about the dangers of drugs:

"Scientists and doctors who contribute to unethical behavior through the misuse of drugs must be stigmatised.

That can be considered another form of education.

In conjunction with BOCOG, the IOC intend to make the Beijing Olympics a festival of harmony and peace, education and culture and above all of sporting perfection."

We shall see.