New IOC President! Must confront Donald Trump and bring Russia back into the Olympic Games

(Phnom Penh): The new president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) will have to solve many equations, especially confronting US President Donald Trump, as well as bringing Russia back into the Olympic Games, etc. This was highlighted by H.E. Vath Chamroeun, Secretary General of the National Olympic Committee of Cambodia (NOCC), as the IOC prepares to organize the 144th General Assembly to elect a new president on March 18-21, 2025 in Greece.

In recent days, the world has focused on the preparations for a change in the top leadership of the World Olympic Movement after the old President Thomas Bach ends his mandate after 12 years (the term of the IOC President is 8 years + 4 years) to elect a new President to lead the World Olympic Movement on March 20, with 7 high-ranking figures running for the President, while Thomas Bach is no longer eligible to run.

The 7 candidates running include: 1- Prince Feisal Al Hussein of Jordan, President of the Jordanian NOC and member of the OCA Executive Council. 2- Mr. Juan Antonio Samaranch Jr., member of the Spanish NOC and the son of former IOC President Juan Antonio Samaranch. 3- Mr. Morinari Watanabe (Japan), member of the IOC and President of the International Gymnastics Federation. 4- Mr. David Lappartient, President of the International Cycling Union (UCI) and President of NOC of France. 5- Ms. Kirsty Coventry (Zimbabwe), IOC member and Minister of Youth, Sports, Arts and Tourism and former Olympic medalist in swimming. 6- Mr. Johan Eliasch (Sweden-UK), IOC member and President of the International Ski Federation. 7- Mr. Sebastian Coe (UK), IOC member and President of the World Athletics Federation. 

H.E. Vath Chamroeun confirmed that: This is the history, with up to seven senior figures running for the IOC President, as previously there were only three candidates. On behalf of the member countries, he strongly supports and respects the International Olympic Committee’s Charter and expresses optimism for the preparation process of the General Assembly to elect a new President will up coming soon, all of whom are strong individuals. Although the candidates are all powerful and popular individuals, and some have won Olympic medals, everything depends on the 110 ballots that IOC members will vote for, including two representatives from Southeast Asia.

At the same time, what is interesting and what member countries want to know, that are elites or the new president of IOC will be faced to any problems? While many equations have been put forward for the new president before the election. He continued, "The challenges that the members of the International Olympic Movement want to know are: 1- Facing to Donald Trump for the Olympic Games 2028 in Los Angeles. Let's see how the new president will work with Trump? What other great things will Donald Trump be able to do? So the new president has to face a lot in order to maintain the ability of the Olympic Movement for this four-year period."

In addition, the next mandate, the IOC leader will have to organize two summer and two winter Olympic Games, that is, they will have to work with both the United States and Australia in 2032. This task is a situation which is the time of the Olympic Movement must restore its popularity and restore the quality of its organization after the COVID-19 crisis, which has caused the Olympic Movement problems and affected its leadership. On the other hand, there is competition in finding the fund. For example, the principle of every four years (2020-2024) has generated 6.7 billion US dollars in income to support the Olympic Movement. Therefore, the new president must also compete in finding more revenue or at least similar revenue.

The same senior official of the Cambodia Olympic Movement continued that: Another important thing is the pursuit of world peace in accordance with the Olympic theory of “Sport brings peace”. As a partner of the United Nations, the IOC always supports the movement to seek the world peace, and resolving disputes and other conflicts. This is the duty of the new president to compete and do this job well to ensure the elimination of discrimination as well as the problem of war and to attract major countries to participate in the Olympic Games, especially Russia.

He emphasized that: "They have put the equation to the new president, what do you have to do to attract Russia back in? So, this equation, how does he has to convince or prepare the situation for Russia sports, which is a country with famous sports, good technology, and great strength, to officially return to the Olympic Games again, after the last three Olympic Games, Russia did not participate, from 2016 and 2020 to 2024, only individual athletes can enter, meaning they can enter independently, not as a part of the country, due to the doping and political issues. So the new president was told him that, if he get the jobs, he must do the job properly."

Although the IOC President has a lot of responsibilities to do and has to solve many equations, on behalf of the member countries, H.E. Vath Chamroeun hopes that the Olympic Movement is still a clean movement, and is a movement that all nations in the world need to unite to join together and want to get the harmony of humanity in the world, because the Olympic Movement or Olympic Games are not focused on competition, public health or human health, but it also focuses on the social environment, helping to the social harmony, social development and many other things.

He added that, “We hope and believe that, these 7 candidates will become the top leaders of the Olympic Movement for the next 8 years and hope that the National Olympic Committee of Cambodia, under the leadership of H.E. Dr. Thong Khon, Senior Minister in Charge of Special Missions, will urge the cooperation with the new IOC President to be better, and we can also have a visit to congratulate and meet the new President after the election this year.”