Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], October 14 : International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Thomas Bach congratulated India for clinching a record medal tally in the 19th Asian Games and described this feat as an "illustration of the growing Olympic spirit.
"Another illustration of the growing Olympic spirit is the outstanding performance of the Indian athletes at the Asian Games in Hangzhou. Congratulations to India on its record-breaking medal haul. This is something that the entire Olympic community in India can be very proud of," Bach said here at the 141st IOC Session.
He went on to talk about India being an "inspiring place" to host the IOC session and Prime Minister Narendra Modi's presence shows the rise of importance of Olympic sports in the nation.
"India is a truly inspiring place to hold our IOC session - a country that combines a splendid history and the dynamic present with a vigorous confidence in the future," Bach said.
"It is a great honour to welcome you all to the 141st IOC Session in Mumbai. We are so pleased to be in India - a country on the rise, in so many ways respects, including in Olympic Sports. Your (PM Modi) presence here today is a testimony to this growing importance of Olympic Sports in your wonderful country," Bach added.
On Friday, the IOC Executive Board officially recommended the inclusion of Baseball/Softball, Cricket (T20), Flag Football, Lacrosse (sixes), and Squash in the 2028 Olympics which will be hosted by Los Angeles, United States of America.
Bach talked about the prospect of the addition of new sports in the Olympics which includes cricket as well as e-sports.
"At this session, we will have a discussion which may give another boost to this growth here in India, when we speak about a certain sport which, I heard, enjoys a certain level of popularity here - Cricket," Bach said.
"To compete successfully in this race, I have asked our new IOC e-sports Commission to study the creation of Olympic e-sports Games. AI and e-sports are our two opportunities to seize these two opportunities and to manage the risks, we need a new mindset," Bach added.
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