[2023년 설 명절을 맞이하며 감사 충만 리바이벌, 올림픽 노벨상으로 일컬어지는 IOC쿠베르탱 메달 수상식 Bach IOC위원장 메달수여스피치에 이은 영문 답사 원고(IOC Pierre de Coubertin Medal Awarding Ceremony Reply Speech 21 October 2022)]
지난 2022년 10월21일 필자에게는 역사적인 일생일대의 ‘별의 순간’이자 영예의 순간이 찾아 왔습니다.
Thomas Bach IOC위원장이 서울 개최 ANOC총회(10월19일~21일) 마지막 날 봉은사 COEX Intercontinental Hotel에 위치한 IOC위원장 접견 실에서 코로나19로 인해 18 명의 제한된 규모의 내국초청객들이 참관하는 가운데 일생일대의 영예인IOC 쿠베르탱 메달(IOC Pierre de Coubertin Medal)수상을 Thomas Bach IOC위원장으로부터 직접 전수받게 되는 영광을 맞이 하였습니다. 물론 이러한 영광은 전적으로 하나님이 허락하신 것으로 하나님께 오롯이 봉헌하기도 하였습니다. 모든 것이 하나님의 은혜, 은혜입니다.
올림픽 노벨상이라고도 일컫는 IOC쿠베르탱 메달을 저의 스포츠외교인생 제3막을 여는 새로운 출발의 이정표로 삼고 겸허한 마음으로 대한민국 스포츠외교의 지평을 넓히는 데 더욱 매진하라는 독려의 메시지로 삼고자 합니다.
“We go Faster, we aim Higher, we become Stronger, Together.” “Together, we can raise the bar even much higher!”
(외대 소식지와 아시아문화경제지에 실린 관련 기사)
다사다난했던 2022년이 지나고 이제 2023년이 시작되어 힘차게 전진하고 있습니다.
카타르 2022 FIFA월드컵에서 태극전사들이 보여준 파이팅 넘치는 투혼이 온 나라를 정말 살 맛나는 흥분의 도가니로 만들어 주기도 하였습니다.
정말 스포츠는 인종, 이념, 종교, 문화를 초월하여 온 인류를 하나로 뭉치게 하는 특별한 힘(Unifying Power of Sport)과 다양성 안에 내재된 통합 정신(Unity in Diversity)을 보여주고 있습니다.
2023년 설날 명절을 맞이하여 모두 강녕하시고 함께 배려하고 섬기는(Sharing, Caring and Serving) 한 해가 되기를 진심으로 바랍니다.
다음은 (1)Bach IOC위원장의 메달수여스피치전문과 IOC쿠베르탱메달전수에 이은 IOC쿠베르탱메달수상 후 (2)필자의 수상자소감답사발표 영문 스피치 내용입니다:
(1)Bach IOC위원장의 메달수여스피치전문:
(Thomas Bach IOC President Speaking before Presentation of Pierre de Coubertin Medal following a short introductory explanation by Mr. Mark Adams, IOC Spokesperson (Top Right))
[Presentation of the Pierre de Coubertin Medal to Rocky Yoon Kang-Ro]
Seoul, October 2022
Dear friends,
For our founder, Pierre de Coubertin, theOlympic Games were always much more than just a sporting event. He wanted to make the world a better place through sport and its values. This remains the overarching mission of the IOC and the entire Olympic Movement to this day.
Dear Rocky,
Having known you for such a long time, I can say from personal observation that during all these many years, your commitment to the Olympic Movement has always been a reflection of this vision of our founder.
Making the world a better and more peaceful place through sport has always been your guiding principle throughout your illustrious career.
At the Korean Olympic Committee, as the Korean Sport and Olympic Committee was formerly known, you were deeply involved in the successful organisation of the Olympic Games Seoul 1988. These Games left a remarkable sporting legacy to the people of Seoul and the Republic of Korea.
My personal connection to Seoul and Korea also began during these Games. At the time, I was the athletes' representative on the Games' steering committee. Ever since then, Seoul and its people have a very special place in my heart.
After the closing of the Olympic Games Seoul 1988, promoting the legacy of these Games has been the guiding theme of your career. As Standing Advisor to the Korea Sports Promotion Foundation, you have taken part in long-term projects including the Seoul Olympic Legacy Forum, which is taking place this week right here in Seoul.
You spent more than two decades as an official delegate for the NOC of the Republic of Korea, serving the development of sport and spreading the Olympic values throughout the country. During this time, your outstanding dedication to the athletes is reflected in the fact that you were a leading member of the South Korean delegation for an incredible ten editions of the Olympic Games.
Over the years, you have always shown a desire to share and pass on your extensive Olympic experience. Most recently you did so by providing guidance and counsel to the Organising Committee of the Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018 in your capacity as senior advisor to the OCOG President.I am very grateful to say that the IOC, through its Evaluation Commission for the Olympic Games Beijing 2008, has also benefited your deep expertise.
Your belief in the power of sport has also guided you in your current role as President of the International Sport Diplomacy Institute. In this capacity, you are continuing to keep the legacy of Seoul 1988 alive, in particular through your active engagement with young people. With your lectures at renowned universities, you are inspiring the new generation with our shared Olympic values.
Perhaps nothing illustrates your passion for sport better than the creation of the Pyeongsan Sports Museum close to your home town, where thousands of Olympic artifacts and memorabilia are on display, many from your private collection.
Having just recently published the book “True Record and Stories of Korea Sports Diplomacy” you show no signs of slowing down. On the contrary, your unwavering commitment and enthusiasm for the Olympic Games continues to reach new heights. This is why today, we salute and honour your unique contribution and deep-rooted attachment to the Olympic values.
Dear Mr. Yoon Kang-Ro, dear Rocky,
In recognition of your outstanding achievements in supporting the cause of world sport and your faithfulness to the Olympic ideal as illustrated by Pierre de Coubertin, reviver of the Olympic Games, it is an honour and pleasure to present you with the Pierre de Coubertin Medal.
(2)필자의 수상소감 답사영문스피치 내용:
(Appreciation Reply Speech for my honour/ This would serve as a Game Changer in my sport career)
Honorable IOC President, Dr. Thomas Bach,
Distinguished guests who are present here today to attend the Awarding Ceremony of this prestigious Baron Pierre de Coubertin Medal out of busy schedule.
Very good morning!
First and foremost, I am deeply touched and grateful to IOC President Thomas Bach who is sharing this space with us at this present time and made this possible at the IOC EB held on 9 September for his generous and insightful decision and consideration to award to me the Coubertin Medal.
When I received his letter, I couldn’t believe my eyes, but soon I realized that this was really happening to me.
I am very much excited, tremendously honored, incredibly privileged, and enormously and immeasurably pleased not only to become a recipient of this medal but also to receive it at first hand from IOC President Thomas Bach who has come a long way for this ceremony as well, on the auspicious occasion of the first Seoul Olympic Legacy Forum as a key-note speaker, which ended yesterday.
This medal is so important in giving me a sense of encouragement and motivation and inspiration to move forward together to build a better society concerned with the preservation of human dignity during the rest of my life.
Blending sport with culture and education, Olympism seeks to create a way of life based on the joy, found in efforts and educational value of good example based on the universal, fundamental and ethical principles.
No one will dispute the fact that IOC President Thomas Bach is by far the greatest global leader in the 21st century Olympic Movement with vision, wisdom, ability and inspiration to upgrade and re-design the modern Olympic Movement with his brain child masterpiece, Olympic Agenda 2020+5, ensuring and realizing transparency, sustainability, good governance, cost-effectiveness, best possible efficiency of the Olympic Games as well as equal and balanced opportunities in a spirit of the Olympic values of Excellence, Friendship and Respect.
De Coubertin was a pioneer and forefather with a crystal clear vision for the initial Olympic Movement above and beyond time and space toward universality and sportsmanship with values of Olympic motto of Faster, Higher, Stronger, and recently strengthened with one simple but very meaningful and unifying word “Together” by IOC President Thomas Bach. Baron Pierre de Coubertin devised and designed Best Optimized Olympic Concept and vision suggesting to revitalize human values from teenagers, youth to produce a better and more peaceful world through sport.
In full alignment of the vision of Baron Pierre de Coubertin and the Olympic Agenda 2020+5, President Bach’s vision is well reflected and echoed in his connotative and implicative words of “Unity in Diversity”, Unifying Power of Sport and Olympics to bring together people, cultures, ideas, and lifestyles over Five Rings around the world. I would like to define it as a new revolution of the modern Olympic Movement in order to discharge prejudice and discrimination of any kind.
On each and every occasion of his speech, IOC President Thomas Bach impressed the world with his own expressions, such as “There is no one-size-fit-all solution”, “This world is run by politics and not by sports organizations” as a reason why sport stay on neutrality, to say the least.
In order to eliminate mal practices, danger and risk factors of the past Olympic Host City selection process, he reformed it and created the new age Olympic Host selection system by creating “FHC” system, thereby enabling IOC to choose best optimized Olympic Host Cities “whenever timing is right”. I think he must be an Olympic genius and Hero of heroes in the 21st century Olympic Movement.
During the 128 years of the Olympic Movement, in my judgment, I can say there have been three most outstanding and greatest IOC Presidents, Firstly, Baron Pierre de Coubertin who served 29 years. Secondly, Juan Antonio Samaranch who also served 21 years. Thirdly and most importantly for the vast majority of the global stakeholders, I believe, the current IOC President Thomas Bach who has served 9 years so far and will serve only 3 more years, but I believe his term should be extended likewise in accordance with his achievements and role to play in order to overcome on-going and rapidly approaching crisis facing the global Olympic Movement including but not limited to pandemics.
Once again, I would like to reiterate my profound gratitude to IOC President Thomas Bach for his generous and insightful decision awarding this prestigious Pierre de Coubertin Medal to me in person. Thank you for your attention. And may God bless you and the Olympic Movement.
