Prince Feisal bin Al Hussein, President of the Jordan Olympic Committee, is actively campaigning for the presidency of the International Olympic Committee (IOC). In a recent interview with CGTN Sports Scene's Greg Laffradi on the Talk Sports series, Prince Feisal shared insights into his vision for the future of the Olympics.
During the Asian Winter Games in Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, Prince Feisal supported Jordan's alpine skier Sharif Zawaideh in the men's slalom event. His presence underscored his commitment to the Olympic Council of Asia's (OCA) sports movement and the broader athletic community.
Having attended multiple international sports programs in the Chinese mainland, Prince Feisal praised the region's passion for sports, highlighting the engagement of over 300 million people in winter sports. This enthusiasm has significantly contributed to the vibrant atmosphere of the Asian Winter Games.
As one of seven candidates for the IOC presidency, Prince Feisal addressed critical issues facing the Olympic movement. He echoed concerns raised by incumbent IOC president Thomas Bach about the limited number of countries capable of hosting the Winter Olympics by 2040 due to climate change. In his manifesto, Prince Feisal emphasized the reality of climate change and proposed shifting and expanding the Olympic dates to allow more countries the opportunity to host the Games.
In addition to his environmental initiatives, Prince Feisal is a proponent of integrating esports into the Olympic framework. As an avid video gamer, he believes that esports can attract a new audience to the Olympics. While it's early to envision esports as medal events, he remains open to exploring this possibility in the future.
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Jordanian Olympic chief Prince Feisal on running for IOC presidency
cgtn.com
