Cascais bids farewell as the ANOC General Assembly concludes

The General Assembly of the Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC), which in recent days brought together delegates from all over the world in Cascais to discuss the present and future of sport, has come to an end.

On Thursday, presentations were made by the various ANOC Commissions, the Continental Associations of Committees, as well as ANOC's Strategic Plan and Digital Acceleration Plan. Other key topics included the Milano-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics and the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games, with delegates receiving updates on the progress of preparations underway.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) held several sessions focusing on projects for the 2025-2028 Olympic Solidarity quadrennial and proposals from the IOC Athletes’ Commission.

The working session concluded with recommendations from the 27th ANOC General Assembly, with the ANOC Executive Council making decisions and announcing that the next assembly is scheduled for 2026 in Hong Kong.

"Sport and Olympism play a crucial role in bringing people together, promoting peace and resolving ethnic conflicts. In a world facing enormous challenges and constant threats, sport's ability to unite communities and promote mutual respect is more important than ever". This was one of the messages delivered by the President of the Portuguese Olympic Committee (COP), Artur Lopes.

Cascais said goodbye to the Olympic family on Friday with a programme of thematic sessions: the evolution of the Olympic Programme from the perspective of the National Olympic Committees, strategies to protect sport and the future of artificial intelligence in the National Olympic Committees.

The day began with Spyros Capralos, President of the Hellenic Olympic Committee and the European Olympic Committees, as the keynote speaker in a panel discussion on the evolution of the Olympic Programme, the inclusion of new events and the challenges and opportunities this presents for National Olympic Committees (NOCs).

Capralos emphasised the importance of qualification through continental games to reduce the impact that long and costly qualification processes can have on athletes from less economically developed countries.

He also highlighted the challenges posed by the International Olympic Committee's (IOC) new Strategic Agenda, which allows host cities to propose the inclusion of new events. This places unique demands on NOCs to develop, fund and prepare athletes in sports that may not be part of the permanent Olympic programme, potentially affecting the balance of preparation plans between nations with different sporting infrastructures.

Peter Sherrard, CEO of the Olympic Association of Ireland, discussed the challenges faced by smaller countries in participating in the expansive Olympic Games, focusing on funding issues for both established and emerging sports.

Nicki Nicol, Secretary General of the New Zealand Olympic Committee, addressed the country's isolation within the international sporting landscape and emphasised that the sports movement is fundamentally about people and requires a system that fosters trust and a smooth transition between the different Olympic disciplines.

Joan Smith, Secretary General of the Namibian Olympic Committee, spoke about the challenges and opportunities for African nations in the inclusion of new sports, noting that the continent tends to compete in traditional sports with limited or no participation in newer events.

The panel was moderated by Cédric Van Branteghem, a former Olympian and now CEO of the Belgian Olympic Committee.

'Decoding Sport Protection: Effective strategies for safer sport'
With sport protection a priority for all NOCs, there is a common concern about strategies, responsibilities and available resources. Prince Feisal Al Hussein, IOC Member and President of the Jordan Olympic Committee, was the keynote speaker. He stressed that the goal of international sports programmes is for athletes to experience the full benefits of sport, free from physical, emotional or sexual abuse. He emphasised trust as a critical factor in sport and advocated a coordinated approach involving multiple partners, with local lessons informing global decisions to protect sport.

"It's a human rights issue and must be a priority for all NOCs," began the Secretary General of the Portuguese Olympic Committee (COP), discussing projects in which Portugal is involved, including "For Respect", which since 2013 has offered sessions, seminars and training activities for young athletes. Araújo also outlined Portugal's participation in the European Safe Harbour project, which aims to protect sport across Europe, and Safer Grassroots Sport, which focuses on protecting grassroots sport.

Damaris Young, IOC member and CEO of the Panama Olympic Committee, presented Panama's Safe Sport initiative, which is supported by national authorities and aims to reduce cases of abuse. Young also urged every NOC to have a strategic plan to protect sport and athletes.

Donald Rukare, President of the Uganda Olympic Committee, discussed the activities in his organisation's strategic plan, which include the development of a sport protection policy, training and a code of conduct to raise awareness of this critical issue.

The panel was moderated by Kirsty Burrows, Director of the IOC's Sport Protection Unit.

'Olympic Agenda: The future of artificial intelligence for NOCs'
Recognising the impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) on the future of the Olympic Movement, the IOC has launched an Agenda dedicated to AI. The contribution of NOCs in this area is essential to fully realise the potential of AI, anticipate risks and project its future use.

Varvn Aryacetas, Lead Futurist at Deloitte Ventures UK, was the keynote speaker, focusing on the evolution of AI and its impact on leadership. He discussed navigating uncertainty amidst constant advancements in AI and highlighted data analytics and strategic planning as areas where AI can benefit sports organisations.

Amine Kouame, CEO of the Moroccan Olympic Committee, outlined the potential for AI to optimise sports organisations in areas such as performance analysis, talent identification, injury prevention and recovery, fan engagement and evaluation.

Hans Natorp, President of the Danish Olympic Committee, presented the 'DIF Innovation Lab' project, which has been active since 2017 and works with federations, universities, athletes and companies to equip Danish sport with better tools and aims to positively impact lives through sport and innovation.

To close the session, Matej Machytka from the Czech Olympic Committee demonstrated how AI is used to create digital content to promote his committee's activities, sparking a discussion on whether AI will replace creative teams or enhance human performance in sports organisations.

The session was chaired by Ilario Corna, IOC Director of Technology and Information, who highlighted the IOC-Intel partnership in Senegal to identify young sporting talent using AI.