Mumbai, Oct 15: Members of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) on Sunday urged the incumbent president Thomas Bach to stay on in his role after he completes his 12-year term in 2025.
Bach, a former fencing Olympian from Germany, is the ninth president of the IOC. He was elected to an eight-year term at the 125th IOC Session in Buenos Aires in 2013.
In March 2021, Bach was re-elected IOC president for another four years.The Olympic Charter restricts a president’s term to 12 years, a norm that was put in place by Bach’s predecessor Jacques Rogge to avoid lengthy tenures.Bach had succeeded Rogge, who had served as the IOC chief from 2001 to 2013.
On the inaugural day of the IOC’s 141st Session here, most of its 99 members were of the opinion that Bach should stay on for a third term after his tenure ends in 2025, though it will require changes to be made to the Olympic Charter.
IOC member from Dominican Republic, Luis Mejia Oviedo said, “You have shown us the best way to go forward. We have to look after this (Olympic) movement. That is why I would like to put forward this approach.” There were supporting statements made on the matter by Paraguay’s Camilo Perez Lopez Moreira and International Gymnastics Federation president Morinari Watanabe from Japan.Bach thanked the IOC members and said their appeal had touched his heart. But, he refused to divulge if he planned to stay on and whether he would propose an amendment to the Olympic Charter to make that to happen.If Bach gets his third term, he could be at the helm of affairs when the 2036 Olympic Games host is announced.Prime minister Narendra Modi on Saturday confirmed India’s interest in hosting 2036 Olympics and Paralympics. (PTI)
