Just four years after an earthquake which killed between 100,000 and 160,000 people in the Caribbean country, Bach opened the Centre alongside Republic of Haiti President Michel Martelly and United Nations secretary-general Ban Ki-moon.

It forms part of the IOC's commitment to providing aid to rebuild Haiti's sporting infrastructure as part of the reconstruction process following the natural disaster.

The second Sport for Hope Centre, which follows a pilot Olympic Youth Development Centre that opened in the Zambian capital Lusaka four years ago, aims in a more general sense to provide athletes, young people and communities in developing countries with opportunities to practise sport and be educated in the values of Olympism. 

"The Sport for Hope Centre is open to all Haitians - from the young to the old, and from professional athletes to beginners," said Bach following the opening today.

"It offers open access to a variety of sports thanks to the generosity and commitment of a number of our stakeholders.

"But just as importantly, it offers access to cultural, educational and social development programmes and the Olympic values."

Thomas Bach illustrates football skills befitting of a German during the unveiling today ©AFP/Getty Images



Located on land donated by the Government of Haiti, the Centre features two large indoor practice halls, an indoor competition hall with a spectator capacity of 2,500, and a number of outdoor courts and pitches, with a total of 14 Olympic sports to be practised there.

It is hoped it will enable Haiti to improve their performances at Olympic Games, with the country having not won a medal since Amsterdam 1928 and sending only one home-grown athlete to London 2012, alongside four United States-based representatives.

Built at a total cost of $18 million (£10.5 million/€13 million), the Centre will also offer a wide range of educational programmes, health services and community activities aimed at rebuilding local communities, promoting social values and giving Haiti's citizens a better future. 

It comes just weeks after the signing of a historic agreement between the IOC and United Nations aimed at strengthening cooperation between the two organisations in projects designed to contribute to a better and more peaceful world through sport.

This has already seen work undertaken elsewhere in the developing world, including in the world's newest country of South Sudan as well as in war-torn Central African Republic. 

"During the course of our Olympic Agenda 2020 discussions on Olympism in Action, including our Youth Strategy, heavy emphasis has been placed on the important role sport can play in terms of education and social issues," added Bach.

"The opening today of the Sport for Hope Centre here in Haiti is an example of how we can work successfully with other organisations to contribute to building a better world."

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