Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) President Ian Chesterman has been elected to the Executive Board of the Oceania National Olympic Committees (ONOC) at today’s ONOC General Assembly in Brisbane.
One of four candidates to put their names forward, Mr Chesterman says his election is an honour, with his enduring focus to ensure that the Pacific region will share in the great opportunity of the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
“The Olympic movement can play a great role in bringing people together. In the Pacific region we have shared values and shared friendship. My thanks to the members of ONOC today for giving me the opportunity to contribute. Australia has been a proud contributor to ONOC since its inception in 1982.
“Of course, the Brisbane 2032 Games will be a home Games for people right across the Pacific. The Games’ Organising Committee has committed to providing high performance training opportunities, international competitions here and community sports and health programs for countries within Oceania.
“Together we can use the runway to Brisbane to make a meaningful difference to the lives of many in the Pacific and importantly build a much stronger sports system throughout Oceania to serve the lead in to the 2032 Games and for many decades after that as well.”
Mr Chesterman indicated that for athletes across the region, the immediate task is to qualify for and then prepare for the Paris Olympic Games next year.
“It was a great pleasure for the AOC to partner with the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) to provide assistance to 76 athletes from 11 countries in the Pacific to train, prepare and ultimately attend the Tokyo 2020 Games against the very difficult backdrop of the COVID pandemic. The AOC, as a proud member of ONOC, stands ready to assist our Pacific neighbours as we look towards Paris.
“Indeed, ahead of Paris we have the Pacific Games to be held in the Solomon Islands in November this year, a chance for several sports to qualify for Paris. Australia will be sending a contingent likely to be around 120 people and we are looking forward to that opportunity.
“These are an important Games for the Australian Olympic Committee. Our Chef de Mission will once again be Olympic paddle champion Ken Wallace, who led our Team to Samoa in 2019 – and of course Ken is Chair of the ONOC Athletes’ Commission.”
Over the past five days, delegates from 17 Oceania National Olympic Committees have gathered in Brisbane to discuss and share plans around growing Olympic sports and to explore ways of working together for the mutual benefit of all NOCs in the region.
