President El-Sisi Meets President of the International Olympic Committee

Today, President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi met with the President of the International Olympic Committee, Thomas Bach. The meeting was attended by Minister of Youth and Sports Ashraf Sobhi, President of the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa (ANOCA) Mustapha Berraf, Chairman of the International Handball Federation Hassan Moustafa and President of the Egyptian Olympic Committee Hisham Hattab.

The Spokesperson for the Presidency stated that the President welcomed the visit of the President of the International Olympic Committee to Egypt, praising the IOC's key role in promoting interest in sports at the international level. The President highlighted Egypt’s efforts to develop and modernize the sports infrastructure nationwide. This is in addition to the construction of Egypt's International Olympic City in the New Administrative Capital and efforts made to raise the efficiency of international airports and the transport network and to develop roads and axes in Greater Cairo and surrounding cities, in order to facilitate movement between facilities, thus maximizing Egypt’s capabilities in the sports infrastructure in the interest of citizens and to host major international championships in various sports at the highest organizational, administrative and logistical levels.

 
Mr. Bach expressed his honor to meet the President and lauded Egypt’s historical Olympic role, being one of the leading African and Arab countries in various team and individual sports. This is considered an extension of its leading position in the region at the political, social and cultural levels, in addition to sports.

Mr. Bach expressed his great admiration for the equipped infrastructure that Egypt has acquired at the highest level  demonstrated by the successful organization of many international sports events, especially the 2021 World Handball Championship in spite of the challenges posed by the coronavirus  pandemic, which was widely praised internationally.The meeting touched on prospects for cooperation between the two sides for  Egypt to host major international sports events. The President affirmed Egypt’s readiness to provide various means of support in this regard.

The President of the International Olympic Committee expressed his full confidence in Egypt’s capabilities to carry out this task, noting his visit to Egypt's International Olympic City in the Administrative Capital, which he considered one of the most significant sports edifices with integrated pillars and services at the highest international standards in the Middle East, especially with its stadiums and covered halls for various individual and team sports, as well as service areas , medical facilities,hotels, administrative buildings and public squares, which strengthen Egypt's ability to organize major international sports events.