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Tag: IOC

  • JSW Group opens exhibition in Paris to commemorate 100 years of India at the Olympic Games

    JSW Group opens exhibition in Paris to commemorate 100 years of India at the Olympic Games

    Mumbai: The JSW Group marked Olympic Day with the inauguration of an exhibition that celebrates life and legacy of Pierre de Coubertin, the Founder of the Olympic Movement, along with commemorating 100 years of India’s presence at the Games, in the host city of Paris, on Sunday.

    JSW Foundation’s chairperson Sangita Jindal and Inspire Institute of Sport founder, Parth Jindal were joined by president of the IOC, Thomas Bach, Minister of Culture, Madame Rachida Dati, Ambassador of India to the Republic of France, His Excellency Jawed Ashraf and the President of the Pierre de Coubertin Family Association, Mrs. Alexandra de Navacelle to open the exhibition that will be hosted at the Town Hall of the 7th Arrondissement, Paris, and will go on till the end of the Paris 2024 Summer Paralympic Games in September.

    Speaking on the occasion, JSW Foundation chairperson Sangita Jindal said, “JSW Group is pleased to support the curation of ‘100 Years of India at Olympics’ at the Genius of Sport exhibition in Paris. Through this unique Exhibition, we celebrate the life and legacy of Pierre De Coubertin and 100 years of India’s remarkable Olympic journey and success. We share Pierre De Coubertin’s vision and belief that Sport has the ability to change the world differently by transcending borders and bringing people together in the spirit of peace and friendship. The 2024 Olympics is an important milestone for JSW Group. We are proud to support this exhibition as well as Team India in Paris.  Through these efforts we reiterate our commitment to foster and nurture the sporting culture and talent in India.”

    The exhibition, in association with the Pierre de Coubertin Family Association, comprises a detailed walkthrough of India’s Olympic journey over the last century, the success the country has enjoyed in the past, and its recent resurgence with an eye on the future.

    Inspire Institute of Sport founder Parth Jindal said, “We are honoured to partner with the Pierre de Coubertin family for what we believe is a special showcase of the Olympic movement and the part India has played in it. We are on the cusp of the greatest sporting event in the world, and it was our desire at JSW to do something more in the city of Paris. As a country, we want to take forward the ideals of Pierre de Coubertin. We want the world to be a peaceful place, and the role that sport could play in that regard, is enormous.

    It is our mission at JSW Sports to further the Olympic movement, not just in India, but in the world. The Inspire Institute of Sport will be represented by close to 30 athletes as part of Team India at the Games next month, and our effort is to keep increasing that number with every passing Olympic cycle. India’s rise as an economic power is evident. But it is through sport that a country’s soft power is truly showcased, and we will play our part in making this happen.

    IOC president Thomas Bach said, “Thanks to this magnificent exhibition, the public will be able to discover and rediscover an astonishing and multi-faceted man and measure the extent of his work. France and the French people should be proud to have a compatriot like Pierre de Coubertin. A visionary whose message of a world united in peaceful competition through sport resonates even more strongly today.”

    His excellency Jawed Ashraf, Ambassador of India to the Republic of France, thanked the JSW Group for putting together the exhibition that will be on until September 10 and will be open to the public.

  • LALIGA holds ‘EXTRA TIME’ webinar series in India to discuss the future of sports

    LALIGA holds ‘EXTRA TIME’ webinar series in India to discuss the future of sports

    Mumbai Continuing to build the Indian sports landscape, LALIGA, the world’s largest football ecosystem, successfully concluded its first-ever ‘EXTRA TIME’ webinar series in India. Seeking to engage in conversations related to sports technology and culture, the first of the dual-part webinar series, explored the evolving landscape of sports technology, and its impact in transforming fan engagement in India. Directing the conversation, leaders with experience leading properties such as LALIGA, National Basketball Association (NBA), Major League Baseball (MLB), Dream Sports, and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) graced the occasion as panel members.

    Delving into topics on innovation, audiovisual content, artificial intelligence, virtual reality, and gamification amongst others, the panellists spoke about how tech can help build individual sports awareness and amplify preexisting audience potentials through personalization of content.

    Speaking at a LALIGA Extra Time Webinar, LALIGA head of content & programming Roger Brosel said, “At LALIGA, we have always looked at technology as a means to an end. Our final objective is to have a product with which fans can engage. Technology by itself cannot be the future, it must add something to the story we are already telling at LALIGA. We look at technology to build engagement and immersive experiences alongside the match day experience for fans who do not have the opportunity to travel. Through creativity & tech innovation we are allowing the viewer at home to get closer to the action.”

    Dream Sports chief marketing officer Vikrant Mudaliar, added “Gen-AI is an interesting avenue at the moment. From a Dream11 point of view, we are looking to innovate to seamlessly and frictionlessly provide fantasy sports fans content through reduced touchpoints. This added amount of convenience to stream, chat, gamify, and be provided with tips based on your interest is what we are aiming to do explore.”

    NBA India country head Rajah Chaudhry added, “For the NBA, we look at the technology space under two pillars; personalization and awareness building. We use tech, and in particular AI to build experiences for our fans. Through tech, we can personalize content, allowing fans to engage with the game based on their preferences, while providing access to the NBA like never before through immersive technology – which also allows us to build our existing fanbase in the country.”

    MLB Senior Manager India Ryo Takahashi added “MLB utilizes tech to understand our audience at multiple levels. Through building fan profiles, we are better able to understand our end consumer in terms of platform usage, the behaviour of the consumer, and the changing mindset of the fans. By adapting our offerings to gain an advantage in fan experience, tech allows us to build and scale our offering to new audiences and markets.”

    Aneesh Surender Madani, former – head of global digital partnerships and innovation at IOC & Former Twitter head of sports partnerships, at Asia Pacific, added “There’s a window beyond ‘LIVE’ content which is an area of growth for sports organizations. Fans are keen to learn more about the human stories in addition to the game. This demand is where tech can have a significant role to play. The big opportunity is in enabling athletes to share compelling content across multiple platforms.”

    Exploring the theme of building a sporting culture in India, the second part of the LALIGA Extra Time Webinar series will take place in mid-May alongside leaders from the sports industry in India and Spain.

  • Alibaba starts Olympic run with a multi-billion $ sponsorship deal

    Alibaba starts Olympic run with a multi-billion $ sponsorship deal

    NEW DELHI: Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba Group yesterday started its Olympic run by signing a multi-billion dollar multi-year deal with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to become the official `Cloud Services’ and `E-commerce Platform Services’ partner, as well as a Founding Partner of the Olympic Channel, according to an announcement by both the organisations.

    The Olympic Partner (TOP) sponsorship deal running through 2028 and announced at World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, which according to some media reports further burnished Chinese credentials in the global economy, has Alibaba (NYSE: BABA) joining 12 other companies, including Coca-Cola and McDonald’s, as top Olympic sponsors.

    Though no financial details were disclosed, a Reuters report from Davos separately stated IOC sources had previously told the news agency that major sponsors pay about $100 million per four-year cycle, which includes one summer and one winter games.

    According to a statement put out by IOC on its website, the partnership was announced at Davos in the presence of IOC president Thomas Bach, Alibaba Group founder and Executive Chairman Jack Ma and Alibaba Group Chief Executive Officer Daniel Zhang.

    Commenting on the partnership, Bach said: “In this new digital world, Alibaba is uniquely positioned to help the IOC achieve a variety of key objectives outlined in Olympic Agenda 2020, while positively shaping the future of the Olympic Movement. This is a ground-breaking, innovative alliance and will help drive efficiencies in the organisation of the Olympic Games through 2028, whilst also supporting the global development of digital opportunities, including the Olympic Channel.”

    Through this partnership, Alibaba’s contributions to the Olympic Movement will include the following:

    — Best-in-class cloud computing infrastructure and cloud services to help the Olympic Games operate more efficiently, effectively and securely, including supporting big data analytics requirements

    — Creation of a global e-commerce platform for Olympic stakeholders to engage and connect with fans seeking official Olympic licensed products manufactured by the Olympic parties’ official licensees and selected sports products, on a worldwide basis
    — Leveraging Alibaba’s leading digital media technologies and know-how to develop and customise the Olympic Channel for a Chinese audience.

    “Alibaba’s partnership with the IOC is built on a foundation of shared values and a common vision for connecting the world and enriching people’s lives,” said Jack Ma, adding, “We are proud to support Olympic Agenda 2020, using our innovations and technologies to help evolve the Olympic Games for the digital era.” Alibaba’s Zhang described the partnership as a “game-changing digital transformation”, which will help the company in moving “another step closer” toward its goal to “serve two billion consumers” and strengthen the company’s brand by connecting more “young people to the Olympic Movement”.

    IOC’s Marketing Commission head Tsunekazu Takeda said: “We are delighted to be working in the long term with Alibaba for the benefit of the Olympic Movement. This strategic partnership underlines the global appeal of the Olympic values and opens an exciting new chapter in this digital age.”

    Alibaba is the first company to make a long-term commitment to the IOC through 2028 and the first Chinese company to commit to the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022. The company will support the organisers of each edition of the Olympic Games and the Olympic Movement around the world, according to the official statement. These rights will include advertising and promotional use of Olympic marks and imagery from the Olympic Games as well as marks from the National Olympic Committees.

    Alibaba’s global activation rights will include the Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018, the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022 and the Olympic and Olympic Winter Games in 2024, 2026 and 2028 in cities yet to be selected by the IOC.

  • Alibaba starts Olympic run with a multi-billion $ sponsorship deal

    Alibaba starts Olympic run with a multi-billion $ sponsorship deal

    NEW DELHI: Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba Group yesterday started its Olympic run by signing a multi-billion dollar multi-year deal with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to become the official `Cloud Services’ and `E-commerce Platform Services’ partner, as well as a Founding Partner of the Olympic Channel, according to an announcement by both the organisations.

    The Olympic Partner (TOP) sponsorship deal running through 2028 and announced at World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, which according to some media reports further burnished Chinese credentials in the global economy, has Alibaba (NYSE: BABA) joining 12 other companies, including Coca-Cola and McDonald’s, as top Olympic sponsors.

    Though no financial details were disclosed, a Reuters report from Davos separately stated IOC sources had previously told the news agency that major sponsors pay about $100 million per four-year cycle, which includes one summer and one winter games.

    According to a statement put out by IOC on its website, the partnership was announced at Davos in the presence of IOC president Thomas Bach, Alibaba Group founder and Executive Chairman Jack Ma and Alibaba Group Chief Executive Officer Daniel Zhang.

    Commenting on the partnership, Bach said: “In this new digital world, Alibaba is uniquely positioned to help the IOC achieve a variety of key objectives outlined in Olympic Agenda 2020, while positively shaping the future of the Olympic Movement. This is a ground-breaking, innovative alliance and will help drive efficiencies in the organisation of the Olympic Games through 2028, whilst also supporting the global development of digital opportunities, including the Olympic Channel.”

    Through this partnership, Alibaba’s contributions to the Olympic Movement will include the following:

    — Best-in-class cloud computing infrastructure and cloud services to help the Olympic Games operate more efficiently, effectively and securely, including supporting big data analytics requirements

    — Creation of a global e-commerce platform for Olympic stakeholders to engage and connect with fans seeking official Olympic licensed products manufactured by the Olympic parties’ official licensees and selected sports products, on a worldwide basis
    — Leveraging Alibaba’s leading digital media technologies and know-how to develop and customise the Olympic Channel for a Chinese audience.

    “Alibaba’s partnership with the IOC is built on a foundation of shared values and a common vision for connecting the world and enriching people’s lives,” said Jack Ma, adding, “We are proud to support Olympic Agenda 2020, using our innovations and technologies to help evolve the Olympic Games for the digital era.” Alibaba’s Zhang described the partnership as a “game-changing digital transformation”, which will help the company in moving “another step closer” toward its goal to “serve two billion consumers” and strengthen the company’s brand by connecting more “young people to the Olympic Movement”.

    IOC’s Marketing Commission head Tsunekazu Takeda said: “We are delighted to be working in the long term with Alibaba for the benefit of the Olympic Movement. This strategic partnership underlines the global appeal of the Olympic values and opens an exciting new chapter in this digital age.”

    Alibaba is the first company to make a long-term commitment to the IOC through 2028 and the first Chinese company to commit to the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022. The company will support the organisers of each edition of the Olympic Games and the Olympic Movement around the world, according to the official statement. These rights will include advertising and promotional use of Olympic marks and imagery from the Olympic Games as well as marks from the National Olympic Committees.

    Alibaba’s global activation rights will include the Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018, the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022 and the Olympic and Olympic Winter Games in 2024, 2026 and 2028 in cities yet to be selected by the IOC.

  • Nita Ambani gets elected at Rio and becomes the first Indian woman in the International Olympic Committee (IOC)

    Nita Ambani gets elected at Rio and becomes the first Indian woman in the International Olympic Committee (IOC)

    MUMBAI: International Olympic Committee (IOC) today announced that leading Indian philanthropist and the Founder chairperson of the Reliance Foundation, Nita Ambani, has been elected as an individual member of the IOC, and will become India’s first woman to join the prestigious body.

    Nita Ambani is the only individual member from India and her appointment at the world body is until she attains the age of 70.

    After being nominated in June 2016 by the IOC Executive Board, Nita Ambani was elected by IOC members in Rio de Janeiro today at the 129th IOC Session.

    The independent selection process follows a new procedure for the recruitment of IOC members based on the Olympic Agenda 2020 recommendations; those nominated are done so wholly on merit and then elected by existing IOC members.

    As Founder and Chairperson of the Reliance Foundation, Nita Ambani has been steering initiatives in the area of education, sports, health and art and culture. Nita Ambani is involved in promoting multiple sports in the country with focus on developing talent through a number of large-scale grassroots initiatives. The grassroots programmes that she has initiated have reached out to over 3 million children in multiple sports. She is the architect of the Indian Super League which is galvanising Indian football.

    “I am truly humbled and overwhelmed to be elected by the IOC. This is a recognition of the growing importance of India in the world stage and a recognition for Indian women.” comments Nita Ambani. “I have always believed in the power of sport to shape our youth. I believe that sports brings together communities, cultures, and generations has the power to unify and unite people. I look forward to spreading the spirit of Olympics and sports across our nation.”

  • Nita Ambani gets elected at Rio and becomes the first Indian woman in the International Olympic Committee (IOC)

    Nita Ambani gets elected at Rio and becomes the first Indian woman in the International Olympic Committee (IOC)

    MUMBAI: International Olympic Committee (IOC) today announced that leading Indian philanthropist and the Founder chairperson of the Reliance Foundation, Nita Ambani, has been elected as an individual member of the IOC, and will become India’s first woman to join the prestigious body.

    Nita Ambani is the only individual member from India and her appointment at the world body is until she attains the age of 70.

    After being nominated in June 2016 by the IOC Executive Board, Nita Ambani was elected by IOC members in Rio de Janeiro today at the 129th IOC Session.

    The independent selection process follows a new procedure for the recruitment of IOC members based on the Olympic Agenda 2020 recommendations; those nominated are done so wholly on merit and then elected by existing IOC members.

    As Founder and Chairperson of the Reliance Foundation, Nita Ambani has been steering initiatives in the area of education, sports, health and art and culture. Nita Ambani is involved in promoting multiple sports in the country with focus on developing talent through a number of large-scale grassroots initiatives. The grassroots programmes that she has initiated have reached out to over 3 million children in multiple sports. She is the architect of the Indian Super League which is galvanising Indian football.

    “I am truly humbled and overwhelmed to be elected by the IOC. This is a recognition of the growing importance of India in the world stage and a recognition for Indian women.” comments Nita Ambani. “I have always believed in the power of sport to shape our youth. I believe that sports brings together communities, cultures, and generations has the power to unify and unite people. I look forward to spreading the spirit of Olympics and sports across our nation.”

  • IOC proposes Olympic OTT channel, plans to firm up by Dec

    IOC proposes Olympic OTT channel, plans to firm up by Dec

    NEW DELHI: An Olympic television channel is to commence telecast from next year as an OTT service.

     

    The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has said it will present Olympic sports 24 hours per day to make the Olympic Games more attractive for young people.

     

    According to IOC president Thomas Bach, the channel will show a mixture of live sports, stories about athletes and volunteers, news and background information.

     

    During the Olympic Games in London in 2012, the IOC had reached out to young people via mobile apps. Following the launch of the global channel in English, collaborations with domestic TV channels in the local language should be possible, Bach said.

     

    Bach told German media that the Olympic Channel is being set up in Madrid with around 120 employees and will show a mixture of live sports, back stories of athletes and volunteers, and background information.

     

    A meeting of the IOC’s Executive Board in Montreux, Switzerland, recommended that an all-year Olympics TV Channel be set up.

     

    The IOC has recommended that the proposal be put before the full IOC membership, which is meeting on 8 and 9 December in Monaco for approval.

     

    An IOC statement said it would be contacting “all the relevant stakeholders” over the next few months to gather their opinions and further develop the concept prior to making a decision in December.

     

    The aim of the plan is to appeal to some of the four billion viewers who watch the Olympics when the event takes place, and to help focus viewers on the less popular sports, which tend not to get coverage in between the main Olympics coverage.

     

    One report from the meeting recently of Olympic Games leaders and supporters in Switzerland was that the IOC would act as the moderator or facilitator of the channel, but its national sports federations, national committees as well as broadcasters and sponsors would participate. 

  • IOC mulls over dedicated Olympic TV channel

    IOC mulls over dedicated Olympic TV channel

    MUMBAI: Olympic leaders met on 19 July to discuss the Olympic agenda for 2020. 16 officials along with International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Thomas Bach convened in Switzerland. One of points on the agenda was to have a dedicated TV channel for Olympic sports.

     

    The purpose of the channel would be to increase the presence of sports and the promotion of the Olympic values through the year. It would use the National Geographic Channel as a model for curating digital content and feature sports that don’t get the kind of coverage that they do while the games are on. The target group for the channel would be younger audiences.

     

    While the IOC would act as moderator of the channel, its national sports federations, national committees as well as sponsors and broadcasters would participate. It will be contacting relevant stakeholders in the next few months to develop the concept. The voting will take place in December.

  • Govt. concerned about ongoing impasse between IOC and IOA, wants early solution

    Govt. concerned about ongoing impasse between IOC and IOA, wants early solution

    NEW DELHI: Youth Affairs and Sports Minister Jitendra Singh has said that the government “stands committed to zero tolerance on criminality in sports and adherence to ethics and good governance in sports in the country.”

    Reacting to media reports that the General Body of the Indian Olympics Association has not agreed to carry out some of the amendments to its constitution as required by the International Olympics Committee, he said, “The Government is concerned about the ongoing impasse between the two bodies and is watching the developments closely.” 

     

    He said that the Government had noted that a Special General Body Meeting of the IOA was held on 27 October in pursuance of the directions of the IOC to it. 

    He added that the Government felt the deadlock between the IOA and IOC should be resolved at the earliest so that the suspension of the IOA is lifted and Indian sportspersons/teams are able to participate in international sporting events under the Indian National Flag. 

  • Govt. concerned about ongoing impasse between IOC and IOA, wants early solution

    Govt. concerned about ongoing impasse between IOC and IOA, wants early solution

    NEW DELHI: Youth Affairs and Sports Minister Jitendra Singh has said that the government “stands committed to zero tolerance on criminality in sports and adherence to ethics and good governance in sports in the country.”

     

    Reacting to media reports that the General Body of the Indian Olympics Association has not agreed to carry out some of the amendments to its constitution as required by the International Olympics Committee, he said, “The Government is concerned about the ongoing impasse between the two bodies and is watching the developments closely.”

     

    He said that the Government had noted that a Special General Body Meeting of the IOA was held on 27 October in pursuance of the directions of the IOC to it.

     

    He added that the Government felt the deadlock between the IOA and IOC should be resolved at the earliest so that the suspension of the IOA is lifted and Indian sportspersons/teams are able to participate in international sporting events under the Indian National Flag.