At the International Federations Forum (IF Forum) held in Lausanne, Nicole Hoevertsz, first vice president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), welcomed presidents, secretaries general and other representatives of the International Federations (IFs) speaking on behalf of President Thomas Bach, who is on a tour of National Olympic Committees in Africa. Hoevertsz urged the federations to embrace change and be ready to innovate, always guided by Olympic values.
During his speech, she stressed that this year’s IF Forum comes at a crucial time for the future of sport. The main theme of the event, which is being held at the Olympic Museum, is “ensuring that your federation is fit and ready for the future,” a call for adaptation in a rapidly changing world.
THE IA AND THE DIGITAL REVOLUTION
Hoevertsz noted that the accelerating evolution of artificial intelligence (AI) and the digital revolution are changes that offer great opportunities for both sport and the Olympic Movement. She explained how the Olympic AI Agenda seeks to provide a comprehensive approach for sport to embrace the potential of this emerging technology.
“Olympic values are at the heart of this approach, ensuring that technology is available to the entire Olympic community, facilitating access to sport and supporting athletes in a variety of ways,” she said.
ESPORTS AND INSPIRING NEW GENERATIONS
In addition to AI, another key aspect of being “future-ready” is the esports phenomenon. Hoevertsz stressed that if the Olympic Movement wants to continue to inspire new generations, it is necessary to go where the young people are, and currently, that arena is esports.
“Whatever our views on esports, the numbers speak for themselves. More than 3 billion people are familiar with video games, and by next year, the global audience for live video game broadcasts is expected to reach 1.5 billion viewers,” explained Hoevertsz.
OLYMPIC VALUES IN ESPORTS
Hoevertsz insisted that e-sports cannot be ignored if the IOC wants to remain relevant to young people. “It is essential to go towards esports,” she said, noting that the IOC has announced the creation of the Esports Olympic Games, the first edition of which will be held in 2025 in Saudi Arabia.
The IOC vice-president assured that Olympic values will be respected in this new competition, especially in terms of gender equality and connecting with the youth audience. She added: “The principles we established at the beginning of our journey in esports remain the same.”
NEW STRUCTURE FOR ESPORTS GAMES
Hoevertsz also announced the creation of a specific structure within the IOC to organize the Esports Olympic Games, differentiated from the organizational and financial model of the traditional Olympic Games. She assured the federations that this change will not affect the IOC’s support for sports involving physical activity. “Our support for your real-life sport, that which involves human physical activity, will remain unchanged.”
In closing, Hoevertsz thanked the Summer Federations for their contribution to the success of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, and showed enthusiasm for the upcoming Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Games, which will be the first to fully benefit from the Olympic Agenda reforms from start to finish.
