Forrester Osei Represents Ghana At IOC Athletes Commission Forum

Ghanaian athlete based in UK, Forrester Osei, represented the country at the just ended International Olympic Committee (IOC) Athletes Commission in Lausanne, Switzerland.

He was among over 300 athletes from all 206 National Olympic Committee Athlete Commissions invited for the first time to the International Athletes Forum.

He thanked the Ghana Olympic Committee (GOC) headed by Ben Nunoo Mensah for giving him the opportunity to represent the country.

He said would work with the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa (ANOCA) to design and implement a strategy for the Ghanaian Athlete Commission which will allow young athletes to realise their dreams either at national or international level.

“This is not athlete union but rather Athlete Commission which will consist of members across all registered federations under the GOC. This commission is to act as a representative and get connections between athletes and their NOC,” he said.

He also told the paper that “educating our young athletes to take their academic skills serious in line with their athletic career, is an aspect that IOC is taking serious.

“The new athlete commission will work with ANOCA and GOC to ensure that every single young athlete's education is plannedin a certain criteria that is required to meet national and international standards.

The 300 athletes joined the International Federation Athletes Commissions, WADA Athlete Commission, Athletes Commissions of the Organising Committees for the Olympic Games, the Continental Athletes’ Association and International Paralympic Committee ACs, making the 2019 edition the biggest-ever.

At the meeting, participants had the opportunity to put questions to the IOC AC members and the IOC President, Thomas Bach, and went into detail on many topics through plenary sessions, breakouts and panel discussions.

The IOC Athletes’ Commission Strategy, launched in November 2017 at the 8th IAF, was among the subjects discussed, as well as the Athletes’ Declaration of Rights and Responsibilities, a document conceived at the same time and endorsed by the IOC Session in October 2018. Other topics included athlete support from the IOC, anti-doping, athletes’ safeguarding and mental health.