International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach says the Brisbane 2032 Olympics and Paralympics will be an event for the whole Pacific region.
Bach made the statement after attending an Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) Olympics Unleashed event, which saw young people participating in a series of sporting activities.
Following his attendance at the AOC and Oceania National Olympic Committees General Assemblies in Sydney and Fiji in the past week – President Bach’s also visited the Cook Islands and Tonga. The visit to Tonga was notable since the island nation was hit by a volcanic eruption and tsunami in January.
In light of the warm reception and hospitality given by the Pacific people, the IOC President said excitement was building across the Pacific: “These Olympic Games will not only be Games in Australia and for Australia, these will be Games for the whole Pacific region.”
He added, “You can see the enthusiasm and anticipation is already at a very high level. We have met young athletes and sports officials and on everybody’s mind are the Brisbane 2032 Olympic Games.
With so much anticipation pointing towards the 2032 Games, but the biggest task now is the long wait.
“We can look forward to this as a great Olympic festival and as a great engagement of the Olympic Games by Australia and the entire Pacific region and Olympic Movements. All lights are on green, we only have to wait 10 years”, Bach said.