Olympics
The International Olympic Committee has paid tribute to late Nobel Laureate, Archbishop Emeritus, Desmond Tutu.
IOC President Thomas Bach said he got to know Tutu in 1996 as a passionate lover of the Olympic Games and sports.
“He always emphasised the power of sports to bring people together. In all the meetings I had with him he was always appreciating the great contribution of the Olympic Games to peace and understanding,” he said.
Bach said it was Tutu’s “fervent wish that he could still see the Olympic Games being celebrated in his beloved South Africa” as one of the leaders of the candidature of Cape Town for the Olympic Games 2004.
In 2002 Tutu represented the African continent as one of the flag bearers of the Olympic flag in the Opening Ceremony of the Olympic Winter Games Salt Lake City 2002. “He took part as well at the flame lighting ceremony for the Olympic Games Athens in 2004 in Ancient Olympia.”
Bach said Tutu was a firm believer in the Olympic values and “a man full of humanity, humility and with a wonderful sense of humor, which made every conversation with him not only inspiring but also pleasant and unforgettable.”
He said the IOC and the entire Olympic Movement will always honor his memory.
