“Junior Olympic Games” Being Pushed by Olympic Organization

PARIS, Oct 1. A "junior" Olympic Games, to be held every four years is being pushed by the Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC), according to a report by Agence France Presse, the French news organization.

Just like the Olympics, cities would bid to host the Games and a decision would be taken after an evaluation commission had made on site-visits and met with local bidding committees.

"This is a bad idea, almost certainly motivated by money," said Phil Whitten, editor-in-chief of Swimming World.

John Leonard, executive director of the American Swimming Coaches Association (ASCA) was even more blunt. "This is absolute madness," he said. "I urge our USA Swimming family to totally and completely reject this absurd idea."

Nonetheless, a working group looking at the feasibility of such a sports extravaganza said the creation of a World Youth Games would give added importance to ANOC and restore power to National Olympic Committees (NOC). It would also raise much needed income said the group in a report prepared late last year.

The World Youth Games is to be one of the key points to be discussed at ANOC's executive council meeting here this week. According to the ANOC working group there is little doubt such a Games would be a success.

"The analysis carried out by our working group has brought us to the conclusion that all conditions are met for the World Youth Games to become a magnificent international event which would enable ANOC to enhance its potential not only as an organization representing the NOCs but also as the promoter of organizational initiative," says the report.

"With the present norms that govern the participation of athletes and teams at the Olympic Games the NOCs have lost part of their power with the National Sports Federations.

"The World Youth Games would give the NOCs the opportunity to resume their contractual power by making them responsible for the choice of the delegations they will send to the World Youth Games."

It adds that finding sponsors should not be a problem.
"It should be underlined that some companies and industries are particularly interested in promoting the sale of products for young people: the characteristics of our event would certainly draw the attention from the industrial sector," says the report.

But the working group warns that such a Games will need support from three key sports federations. "We could not do without athletics, swimming and gymnastics," says the group.

Despite the positive report, some senior members of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) are opposed to the idea of a junior Olympics.

"It is madness. It is simply a way to raise the profile of ANOC," said one member, hitting the nail squarely on the head.

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