IFSC Attends ANOC World Beach Games and ANOC General Assembly in Doha, Qatar
Following the first Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC) World Beach Games from 12-16th October in Doha, Qatar, where Bouldering featured as one of 14 disciplines, the XXIV ANOC General Assembly took place at the Sheraton Grand Doha Resort & Convention Hotel. IFSC President Marco Maria Scolaris, Vice-President Sport/Events Kobinata Toru and Alessandro Di Cato, IFSC Event Officer, attended the Bouldering events at the Games, with the IFSC President and VP also participating in the ANOC General Assembly from 17-18th October.
“With Sport Climbing making its Olympic debut next year, the participation of Bouldering in the ANOC World Beach Games is an incredible opportunity. We trialled a new rule of 2+2 minutes during finals which worked well. A huge thanks goes to the officials for taking on this challenge and in particular, those officials travelling from Asia to support this event,” says IFSC Vice-President Sport/Events Kobinata Toru.
“As Sport Climbing grows in popularity, becoming more and more prominent in the public eye, it’s fantastic to see our athletes competing alongside other sports in a major multi-sport event such as the ANOC World Beach Games. The IFSC would like to thank ANOC and the Qatar National Olympic Committee for their efforts in making the Bouldering event happen with only a short period of time to prepare,” expresses Marco Scolaris, President of the IFSC, who adds: “We hope that the legacy of these efforts could result in the growth of our sport in the region and in the Middle East in general.”
The ANOC General Assembly is the annual gathering of 204 National Olympic Committees (NOCs) from all around the world. International Olympic Committee (IOC) Members and International Federations (IFs) leaders are also invited. President Scolaris and Vice-President Toru were amongst 1,000 delegates from a total of 204 nations, uniting in Doha to discuss the past, present and future of international sport.
“The IFSC is honoured to not only be a part of the first ever ANOC World Beach Games, but also to attend the 24th ANOC General Assembly. Joining leaders of the Olympic family to share plans, stories and experiences is an immensely exciting part of our Olympic journey, just one year ahead of the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020,” states IFSC President Marco Scolaris.
