DUBAI LAPS UP GLORY

Photograph By : Richard Juilliard

With Her Royal Highness Princess Haya Bint Al Hussein at the helm, and the unwavering toil of the Dubai Sports Council, this event was bound to show the sporting world, if not the rest of the planet that Dubai meant business. And when His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai made time to open the conference, Dubai had just made a strong statement – it had carved its name on to one more sephir, that of being a venue for world-class conferences.

What is SportAccord?
So what exactly was SportAccord that it received the treatment it did during one frenzied week at the fag end of April? Simply put, the international convention is a five-day gathering of more than 1,500 leading representatives from all sections of international sport. The annual gathering is held in a different country each year and it encompasses the Congress and General Assemblies of over 100 international sports federations and their related associations. Its mission is to offer the sports community a powerful opportunity to come together on a global scale, in an exclusive and authoritative networking environment, to build relationships, share knowledge and develop ideas. And so it was but fair that the SportAccord International Convention 2010 Dubai got under way with the council meetings of SportAccord, the Association of Recognised International Sports Federations (ARISF), the Association of Summer Olympic International Federations (ASOIF) and the International World Games Association (IWGA).

SportAccord, which was renamed in 2009 during the SportAccord Convention in Denver (USA), promotes communication and cooperation among international sports federations and represents more than 100 affiliated organisations.

The president of SportAccord is Hein Verbruggen of The Netherlands – who is also chairman of the SportAccord Convention and the Council consists of members designated by ASOIF (Association of Summer Olympic International Federations), AIOWF (Association of International Olympic Winter Sports Federations), ARISF (Association of Recognised International Sports Federations), and other SportAccord member organisations.
So it did not come as a surprise when President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Jacques Rogge stepped up on stage the very first day to pay glowing tributes and hail Dubai’s impeccable organization of the 2010 event. “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 [former IOC president],” Rogge told the august gathering at the opening.

Not to be left behind SportAccord President and Chairman Hein Verbruggen challenged the gathering by stating that the “time has come for SportAccord to move a step forward, re-organise itself and develop a global strategy to leverage on sport unity and better face today’s sporting challenges”.

The suave Dutchman further voiced his belief in an event like SportAccord in rising to the challenge of uniting peoples and races around the globe. “Through unity and synergies, SportAccord believes that the world of sport will be stronger when tackling global challenges together. We believe that unity will strengthen the world of sport, and as such, SportAccord is willing to reinforce its members’ position by uniting and supporting them at every step along the way,” Verbruggen added.

No empty promise as this was exactly what the convention trudged to prove over the next few days as top officials and luminaries in their chosen fields led an array of serious debate and dialogue promoting the ever-expanding cause of sport. Besides the bevy of closed-door meetings and confabulations among high-level committees, the speakers’ profiles were astounding. There were two main aspects on offer – a range of high-level and influential administrators connected with the world of sport and actual sportspersons who had excelled in their chosen fields.

Array of stars So it was nothing surprising to have FIFA President Joseph S. Blatter address the gathering and convince them about the power of sport to change lives and society. “Our society is disturbed and harassed, and it is sport that gives us the emotions. And this leads to passion, and this is dangerous as it can give us smiles and tears as well,” Blatter said. But with a glimmer of hope the FIFA chief pointed towards Africa, long neglected and left alone by the rest of the world. “For so many years the people of Africa have been running and kicking around,” Blatter said in reference to the top athletes and footballers. “But this year, South Africa will show the world what it can do when the Bafana Bafana meet Mexico in Johannesburg to open the World Cup,” he smiled. Blatter spoke of a world with no boundaries – total utopia. “The changes have come in the past 40 to 50 years, and suddenly we find that there are no borders now. This has been largely due to the hard work put in by various international federations and sports bodies along with the IOC, but it is also because of the popularity and inroads made by the media, particularly television,” he pointed. Another personality to make a huge dent on the delegates was former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan. Recounting from his days in office, Annan spoke of how sport had set aside even wars and regional strife paving the way for healing amongst people, societies and even countries. “This is one world and we don’t need the pains that afflict us. We need the balm of peace and one of the strongest means of achieving this peace is through sport,” Annan exhorted. And it came as no surprise either when the host Princess Haya made a strong case for an improvement for women in the sporting arena. This was a just and suitable platform to voice such a view dear to one’s heart. “Women around the world have proved beyond doubt that they are no less equal to men in any field today,” Princess Haya said. “What we need is the opportunity to be treated on par and respected for what we stand for,” she added while commenting during the plenary panel session dealing with sport’s role as a leader in sustainable development. And when The Atlantis Palm closed it doors to the convention on the last day of April, Dubai had scored yet another first. And not a single person disagreed.     Photograph By : Richard Juilliard