Olympia (Greece), March 20 (NationPress) Thomas Bach has been honored with the title of Honorary President for Life of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), a role he will assume following the conclusion of his presidency on June 23.

The proposal was unanimously accepted by IOC Members, who stood in ovation after IOC First Vice-President Nicole Hoevertsz presented it during the 144th IOC Session in Olympia (Costa Navarino), Greece. Prior to this, the IOC Session had recognized the significant achievements of the Olympic Agenda reforms that defined Thomas Bach's presidency, according to an IOC statement.

While introducing the proposal, Hoevertsz remarked, “Under President Bach's visionary leadership, the Olympic Agenda has been successfully implemented over the years, which is no small accomplishment. We can confidently say that President Thomas Bach has played a vital role in modernizing the Olympic Movement and maintaining its significance in the 21st century. To the IOC Members present at this 144th Session, I urge you to recognize that we are not only concluding this session but also commemorating the end of an era as we prepare to bid farewell to President Thomas Bach. It is fitting that we present the proposal to appoint him as Honorary President for Life of the IOC. Allow me to elaborate on the reasons behind this proposal.

“Thomas Bach has dedicated his service to our organization for an impressive 34 years. Throughout his tenure, he has been part of the Executive Board and has served as Vice-President. He has contributed to numerous important commissions and is recognized as a founding member of the first IOC Athletes’ Commission established during the session in Baden-Baden in 1981,” Hoevertsz continued.

The proposal garnered substantial backing from many IOC Members, including representatives from Spain, Italy, Belgium, Australia, the USA, Austria, South Africa, Germany, and Israel, among others.

Upon accepting the nomination, an emotional Bach expressed, “Dear friends and colleagues, when I was elected as President 12 years ago, my first reaction was ‘ouf,’ and I find myself in the same situation now. I am genuinely overwhelmed and incredibly grateful for the kind words you've shared and for bestowing upon me this profound honor of becoming your Honorary President.

“I accept this honor with great humility for two reasons. Firstly, as I have often stated, this achievement is not the result of a single individual; it is a collective effort. Each one of you has contributed in your unique way to our success. The unity we have achieved is essential, and without it, none of this would have been possible,” he added.

Bach, the ninth IOC President, has served for 12 years since his election in 2013 at the 125th Session in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He completed a first eight-year term and was re-elected unopposed for a second four-year term in March 2021.