Dear athletes, Latvian Olympic Committee team and partners, authors of the book, sports enthusiasts and guests, members of the Olympic family,
My sincerest congratulations to all of you on the centenary of our National Olympic Committee.
I'm happy that symbolically the centenary of Olympic Committee is centred around the reveal of ‘Latvia’s Olympic medals’ book. This book contains unique information. It is the first source that contains all accounts of the successes of our athletes and our Olympic past. From encyclopaedic facts to Olympic values and exceptional personalities in our sports and Olympic movement.
When on 23rd of April 1922 Latvian athletic federations came together in Riga to establish Latvian Olympic Committee it was given a clear task ‘to oversee the preparation and participation of Latvian athletes in Olympic Games’ .
And this precisely formulated task of the Olympic committee from 100 year past reminds me of another important centenary for Latvia. This year we will also mark the centenary of our constitution, Satversme. Satversme, which was adopted 100 years ago, is very precise and concise too. Its provisions have been valid for 100 years and will last another 100 years. 100 years ago, our ancestors before us were excellent at phrasing precisely what our country needs.
The first Olympic Games for the Latvian team were the Chamonix Games in France in 1924. Our athletes competed with other international teams in running, boxing, race walking, wrestling, skiing, sailing, basketball, football, shooting, ice hockey and skating.
Our country and National Olympic Committee were ‘knocked out’ in 1940 by the occupation when we lost our independence. Statistical archives give us precise number of Olympic medals won by Latvian athletes in the USSR team. But there is no mention of Latvians who were unjustly denied the opportunity to take part in the Olympic Games. Statistics is silent about medals that our athletes could have won over those decades under the Latvian flag.
But a ‘red card’ was shown to occupation power by history, and on 19 November 1988 delegates from all Latvian athletic federations announced that Latvian Olympic Committee is officially restored. The decision announced at the Daugava Stadium carried great risks and required lots of courage.
I had the pleasure of witnessing how historical and Olympic justice was restored because I consulted Vilnis Baltiņš and his supporters who restored the Olympic movement on how it should be done according to international law. Olympic Committee was the first organisation to be fully restored after its mandate was ended by force in 1940. It was a very bold step from an international law perspective against the Soviet Union which still reigned through occupation.
On 18 November 1991, during its 6th session in Berlin, International Olympic Committee restored the rights of Latvian Olympic Committee, allowing it to return to the Olympic family. We returned to the international Olympic scene in 1992 with Winter Games in Albertville (France) and Summer Games in Barcelona (Spain).
Olympic movement has always been close to my heart due to these political and legal reasons. And also, for its enormous significance. For us as a nation, it was important to show the world what we can achieve in sports arenas and put the name of Latvia on the world map. Our Olympians have been doing this since 1924 when we first competed for medals. Everyone in our country follows performances of our athletes. I have to admit that we are even more passionate than the big countries because for us these medals carry more weight.
My wife Andra is the Patroness of Paralympic movement, which stands alongside the Olympic movement.
The main purpose of the National Olympic Committee is to ensure participation of Latvia in the International Olympic movement as well as participation of our athletes in Olympic Games. This purpose is achieved when our athletes take part in Olympic Games. However, our Olympic Committee has another vital task and purpose. To promote active living among our people. It does so by organising various grassroots activities that are so popular among are people.
The aim of the project ‘the whole Class doing sports’ is to promote physical activities among children. It has now become a national initiative. Olympic Day is another good tradition that sees people in different parts of Latvia exercising together in the mornings. Another important, targeted initiative is the ‘Olympic draft’, a support programme for young athletes.
National Olympic Committee team plays both at the local and international level.
The team of the National Olympic Committee will always have its hands full. It is constantly in preparation for the next Olympics as well as focusing on the long-term strategies. And long-term thinking is indispensable here. Contrary to politicians, Olympic movement must constantly plan its next steps, and the step after, because it must take care of new generations of athletes. That is how Latvia can win its medals. And the medals that we have won so far have all been captured by this book.
I hope the Olympic motto ‘Citius, Altius, Fortius’ truly unites us.
Congratulations everybody on this important anniversary.
