Dubai: President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Jacques Rogge has paid tribute to former president Juan Antonio Samaranch while hailing Dubai’s impeccable organisation of the 2010 SportAccord International Convention.
“We now have new challenges in a new century and I hope we will be able to transform these challenges into opportunities and carry forward the legacy laid before us by the late Juan Antonio Samaranch,” Rogge told the gathering at the formal opening of SportAccord International Convention 2010 Dubai at The Atlantis hotel.
Attending the opening was His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, his wife Princess Haya Bint Al Hussain, Hein Verbruggen, Chairman, SportAccord Convention, a host of Shaikhs and other influential figures from the field of sport.
“SportAccord is a vital link to athletes worldwide and we look forward to a productive week of discussions and debates here,” Rogge added.
Earlier, Princess Haya delivered the welcome address describing Dubai as “the bridge between the ancient and the modern and the link between the old and the new”.
“Shaikh Mohammad understands the value of sports and your presence here can help us bridge the gaps between cultures and make us realise that we are one big global family,” Princess Haya said.
“It is my honour to welcome the global family of sport, and it is such a joyous occasion for us to have an event like SportAccord here in Dubai,” she added.
“The Arab world is usually seen as a region full of strife, struggle and bloodshed and we look like a land falling apart. Your presence here can help break this barrier as sports have always grappled in breaking barriers,” Princess Haya said.
Verbruggen said that SportAccord helps “the sports fraternity worldwide to assess our commitment and vision annually”.
