Wilfried Lemke, Special Adviser to the United Nations Secretary General on Sport for Development and Peace emphasizes the importance of fair play in sport
The CIFP Booth welcomed prestigious visitors on the first competition day after the Youth Olympic Games had officially been opened at an impressive Opening Ceremony on Saturday, 16 August. Wilfried Lemke, Special Adviser to the United Nations Secretary General on Sport for Development and Peace paid a visit to the pavilion of the International Committee for fair Play accompanied by Lindsay Glassco, International Cooperation and Development Director of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
Mr. Lemke, who has also been involved in football shared an interesting story characterized by the spirit of sportsmanship.
“A German and a Korean judoka have had a noble rivalry. Both of them have been great competitors and one of the peak performances of their careers was to compete against each other in the final of the Beijing Olympics in 2008. The German judoka had been in a better shape and had won the gold medal. four years later, the two athletes found themselves fighting for the Olympic Championship title at the London Olympic Games. This time, the Korean athlete became victorious. After the final, the two rivals hugged each other with great honesty and respect. The German Champion later said that he was genuinely happy for his opponent. He added that he had already won his gold medal and the Korean judoka well deserved the victory because of his talent and dedication. – fair play should be an essential part of competitive sport. All athletes must respect the written and unwritten rules of sportsmanship. Sport without fair play is no sport.”
Take me back to Fair Play at the Youth Olympic Games.
Learn more about fair play at the International Fair Play Committee’s website.
