Coventry aims to represent Africa through IOC
International Olympic Committee (IOC) president-elect Kirsty Coventry has promised to represent Africa in the best possible way by putting athletes at the centre of her decision-making while advocating the Ubuntu philosophy.Africa's most decorated athlete spoke at the two-day fifth Continental Athletes' Forum of the Association of National Olympic Committees in Africa (ANOCA), hosted by the National Olympic Committee of Namibia (NNOC), which concluded in Windhoek on Sunday.
Zimbabwe's former sports minister and chair of the IOC Athletes' Commission was elected IOC president last month and will take office on 23 June, Olympic Day, for an eight-year term, succeeding Germany's Thomas Bach.
A proud African and Zimbabwean, Coventry welcomed the IOC's recognition of the need to reflect a global movement by electing her as the first African and first woman president. "It fills me with great pride that I will represent all of you in our international and global community to the best of my ability. My campaign was based on the Ubuntu philosophy 'I am because we are,' and I firmly believe this is true."