For the Olympic dream: Vatican is planning new sports associations

Like the Milanese daily newspaper Corriere della Sera reported on Sunday, a taekwondo and a judo association are to be founded. The track and field athletes have been organized in the “Athletica Vaticana” association since January 2019.

The Vatican needs a total of five sports associations to have a chance of being accepted by the International Olympic Committee (IOC). Only then can a National Olympic Committee (NOK) be founded, which in turn is the prerequisite for participation in the Olympic Games.

“We want to take part with our athletes in major sporting events to send the Christian message that sport can convey fraternity and creativity, just like art, music and literature,” said Vatican sports commissioner Melchor Sanchez de Toca.

Ski association in the Vatican? A ski association could also be created soon. Winter sports are particularly popular with the Swiss Guards and other Vatican employees, said de Toca. There has long been an agreement with the Italian National Olympic Committee CONI, which forms the basis for the establishment of new sports associations and participation in competitions.

The Vatican organizes the annual Clericus Cup football championship, in which teams of priests and seminarians take part. Pope Francis is a big football fan himself.

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For the Olympic dream: Vatican is planning new sports associations

The Vatican is planning the next steps towards participation in the Olympic Games.

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