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The Olympics and sports journalism have experienced many delicate moments in the past and now they are experiencing another one, which gives us shivers. We hope for an Olympic truce, which opens the doors to a real truce and then to a fair negotiation, which respects the rights of peoples. But the war drums continue to hammer our minds, it is difficult to find serenity again.
RESPONSIBILITY The youth of the world in Paris will have to send a strong message and so will we. We have a heavy responsibility on us, we must demonstrate that we are up to it.
THE 100 STORIES One thing gives us hope: the youth of the world that we asked to tell our "100 Olympic stories told by 100 young journalists from 100 countries in 100 seconds" exude enthusiasm and the desire to live in harmony, they are proud of their stories and their desire to live in peace.
ENTHUSIASM I spoke with many of them and they rekindled a flame of hope in me too. They are the future and we cannot disappoint them. Sport is culture, it is openness and it is also a faith in the good will of man. It would be a crime to disappoint them.
THE BOYCOTTS The Olympic world experienced delicate boycotts, which brought the sport of the five rings to the edge of a cliff which would have led to its destruction. The first dates back to 1956, at the Melbourne Olympics, when four countries decided not to participate in protest against the blitzkrieg on Sinai. Twenty years later in Montreal, 28 African nations left in protest because the New Zealand rugby team had gone to play in South Africa, which was then strangled by racial segregation.
THE REBIRTH Four years later, due to the Soviet Union’s invasion of Afghanistan, the United States announced a boycott, which could kill the Olympic world, which was already in a critical condition. However, Juan Antonio Samaranch, the new president, was able to resist. And excuse me if I say that the sports press fully defended the independence of sport and gave new life to the Olympic world. That boycott and the subsequent one in Los Angeles revived sporting ideals and also allowed many countries to experience the pleasure and promotion that Olympic medals offered. And in those years the IOC found strength and also unthinkable financial resources.
DEFENDING INDEPENDENCE Now the international panorama is unfortunately different and therefore it will be more difficult to find a balance, but our task is to continue to fight for the independence of sport and the protection of the rights of the world's youth. At the same time we must defend ourselves from the assault of a technological elite, which wants to relegate us to passive "paper-pushers" on computer screens. We must be aware of the risks we run and that society takes, not only in sports, because our role is fundamental not only in sport, but also in society.
UNESCO On August 6 we will organise together with UNESCO a special celebration of our Centennial in their headquarters in Paris. We have signed an agreement of cooperation with them that will help us enter the new Centennial of our history to continue our fight, that has begun in a boxing ring 100 years ago, to defend our principles and dignity that have remained the same even in the era of laptop, mobile phone and other devices.
Gianni Merlo - AIPS Media Photo by Carlo Pozzoni/AIPS Media
