By Nick Butler at the InterContinental Hotel in Bangkok

A week of meetings and celebrations are taking place in Bangkok ©InterContinental HotelDelegates from all 204 members of the Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC) are arriving here for a week of meetings and functions, with the Athletes' Commission among five groups to have held meetings to begin proceedings today.


After updates from continental representatives, as well as from IOC Athletes' Commission chair, Claudia Bokel, a terms of reference and "tool kit" was confirmed in order to guide NOCs in how best to organise individual Athletes' Commissions. 

This includes a template and check list concerning specific areas - including agendas, budgets and questionnaire templates - with the full document to be posted online on the ANOC website.

A universal survey, carried out in conjunction with the IOC, is also being produced to work out the issues most important to athletes today, with tackling doping currently at the top of the list.

Also on the programme for today was meetings of the Juridical, International Relations, and Finance and Audit Commissions, as well as the Events Working Group.

All are keen to continue the work achieved at the meetings in Kuwait earlier this year, as the organisation continues its modernisation drive under the Presidency of Sheikh Ahmad Al Fahad Al Sabah.

The Sebastian Coe chaired ANOC Youth Working Group, pose with secretary general Gunilla Lindberg during their last meeting in September. They meet again tomorrow ©ANOCThe ANOC Youth Working Group pose with the group's chairman Sebastian Coe and ANOC secretary general Gunilla Lindberg during their last meeting in September. They meet again tomorrow ©ANOC





Tomorrow sees a meeting of the ANOC Medical Commission, as well as of the Olympic Solidarity group, along with an ANOC Executive Council Meeting chaired by Sheikh Ahmad.

Here, preparations for the General Assembly are expected to dominate the agenda in the last meeting before new appointments are made.

On Thursday (November 6) all five continental associations will hold meetings, with the Pan American Sports Organization holding an Extraordinary General Assembly following the postponement of the meeting in September due to President Mario Vázquez Raña being ill.

The week will culminate with the ANOC General Assembly on Friday and Saturday (November 7 and 8) as well as the inaugural Gala Awards Dinner on Friday, where top performing athletes and National Olympic Committees from London 2012 and Sochi 2014 are due to be among those honoured.

"There is a real sense of excitement as we approach the first ANOC Gala Awards Dinner," said Sheikh Ahmad Al Fahad Al Sabah.

"The NOCs work 365 days a year to promote sport and Olympism throughout their countries and provide the best possible support for their athletes.

"They, and their athletes, deserve to have an evening which recognises their hard work and an award which reflects the excellence of what they achieve, the 1st ANOC Gala Awards Dinner and ANOC Award will do just that.

"While not every NOC will receive an ANOC Award, we want it to be an evening of joy and celebration for all 204 NOCs."

The new award to be handed to all the winners at the ANOC Gala Award ©ANOCThe new award to be handed to all the winners at the ANOC Gala Award ©ANOC



At one point, it had been feared the meetings the Gala Awards Ceremony would be moved away from Bangkok due to political instability in Thailand, following a military takeover earlier in the year.

But, with the situation now calmer than in the spring and early summer, no such move was necessary, and Thailand Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha is due to join ANOC chief Sheikh Ahmad Al Fahad Al Sabah and International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach in making opening remarks during the General Assembly.

Among other delegates present will be representatives from Beijing and Almaty, the two cities still in the race to host the 2022 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games, as well as from the Organising Committees of Rio 2016 and Pyeongchang 2018.

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