World athletics chief Lord Coe, a candidate for the presidency of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), has said he is open to including some indoor sporting events in the Winter Games if elected.
The two-time Olympic 1500m champion released his manifesto on Thursday. He is one of seven candidates bidding to succeed Thomas Bach next year. “Innovation is key; we have to be open to new ideas,” Coe told BBC Sport.
As world athletics president, Coe is known for making bold decisions and has promised to bring about change at the IOC, which he believes concentrates power in a select few.
“And some people have suggested that we want to see a balance between the winter and summer games. You have places where some games are indoors. You could, in theory, have them at another time of the year – maybe the winter games.
“So these are all things in which I would encourage debate, because only through debate can we discard ideas that don’t work. Collaboration with relevant organizations such as winter sports and national Olympic committees and summer federations is important. It needs to be a collaborative approach, but I think That we should always be open to new thinking.”
Earlier, Koi highlighted India’s progress in hosting international events. The country will host the Continental Tour athletics event in Bhubaneswar next August and is bidding to host the 2028 Under-20 World Championships.
According to Coe, the successful organization of major events helps India demonstrate its track record of delivering at the international level – an important factor in its bid to host the 2036 Summer Games.
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