( OH WOW )
JOHN COATES : THE POWER OF SPORT
Imogen A . Rose spends time with Australia ’ s main man at the International Olympic Committee .
here is nothing as powerful as
T hope . Nothing that quite moves
the human spirit like faith and self-belief . Hope is the substance of passion – passion , in the true sense of the word . For passion means much more than that sense of energy , vigour and drive we so often associate with it today . It means the acceptance of great pain and suffering . Passion enables humans to strive for greatness , to push their limits beyond what they thought possible and ultimately , to be victorious !
Sport is one of the most potent ignitions of hope and passion . It is one of the most powerful forces in the world today . So much so that the United Nations has declared that ‘ sport and play are human rights that must be respected and enforced worldwide ’.
Nelson Mandela , one of the most significant figures of the 20 th Century , proclaimed , ‘ Sport has the power to change the world ’. Mandela maintained that sport was ‘ more powerful than government in breaking down racial barriers ’. An extraordinary statement from a man who knew that after a lifetime of fighting for human rights , of imploring passionate , intellectual and philosophical arguments , of challenging and condemning the South African Government and after serving 27 years in prison in the name of freedom – it was Rugby Union that would ultimately prove the racial trump card . Sport played a pivotal role in ending the injustice of apartheid and in helping to prevent a subsequent civil war . This is power .
The United Nations and the International Olympic Committee ( IOC ) work collaboratively to utilise sport for peace in the world . IOC Vice President , John Coates , one of the most respected and capable individuals in the world of sport , knows firsthand its incredible power . Born in Sydney , Coates has been a stalwart figure in the development of Australian sport almost his entire life .
He was instrumental in the quest for , and the realisation of , Sydney 2000 , hailed , ‘ the greatest Olympics ever !’ He has been significantly involved with the Olympic Games for over 40 years – a remarkable achievement and commitment . Coates has the temperament and presence of a great statesmen , yet he is remarkably approachable and considerate . He exhibits a terrific enthusiasm and generates a genuine sense of the true spirit of the Olympic movement .
Coates describes the personal impact of the Opening and Closing ceremonies of his first Olympic experience at Montreal in 1976 . It was , he says , ‘ such a wonderful thing to be involved in ’ and as if struck by an Olympic ember , it left him knowing that he wanted to remain a part of the movement .
To this day , his affinity with the Olympics remains undiminished . In 2016 , he stood alongside the then UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and IOC President , Thomas Bach , in Geneva as the Olympic Torch stopped at the United Nations en route to the Rio de Janeiro Games . It was a symbolic moment and a reminder of the core values shared by the United Nations and the International Olympic Committee .
Coates says , ‘ You certainly know that you are part of something very significant on those occasions ’. He explains that ‘ We have a very close association and in our case , with the support of the United Nations , we ’ re using sport to promote peace ’. It is with both pride and joy that he notes the many projects that improve the lives of so many around the world , which the IOC has supported and continues to support .
The fundamental Principles of Olympism – defined within the Olympic Charter – are inspiring and benevolent . The goal of Olympism ‘ is to place sport at the service of the harmonious development of humankind , with a view to promoting a peaceful society concerned with the preservation of human dignity ’. It is through the spirit of Olympism that the Olympic movement affects millions of individuals on a daily basis .
It would be easy to assume that the Olympics was just about the Games and that its relevance was limited to every two years ( Summer and Winter Games ). The reality is , however , that the IOC is committed to a broad spectrum of ongoing international initiatives intended ‘ to promote the values of solidarity , peace and human dignity which sport can channel ’. This includes an emphasis on providing food and recreation to disadvantaged children , on fighting poverty and violence , upon restoring hope within war affected populations and in HIV prevention . This is where the real value of the IOC lies , in the determination to harness the power of sport and to realise its full potential . When asked what the power of sport is , Coates says meaningfully , ‘ To make lives better ’.
Coates has witnessed this impact of sport at the individual , communal and international level . He understands the heartfelt response of the athletes who
6 OH ! MAGAZINE ( MAY 2017 )