PNGOC passes condolences to Rogge’s family

Sports
Jacques Rogge

THE Papua New Guinea Olympic Committee (PNGOC) has expressed sadness upon receiving news of the passing of former International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Jacques Rogge on Sunday at the age of 79.
Late Rogge was the second IOC president to visit PNG in 2009 and his 12-year tenure also saw the transformation of a modern-run organisation.
Rogge was elected as the IOC’s eighth president in Moscow on July 16, 2001, to succeed Juan Antonio Samaranch, a former ambassador who was head of the IOC for 21 years and visited PNG in 1983.
PNGOC president Sir John Dawanincura expressed his condolences to Rogge’s family.
“It is with great sadness that we hear of the passing of one of the great architects of the modern movement of sports today,” he said in a statement yesterday.
“As we share the sympathies from across the globe, our thoughts and prayers are with the family on the loss of their loved one.
“We also remember Rogge’s many accomplishments in sports as an athlete and administrator in the highest hierarchy of the Olympic movement.
“We will remember him in the many legacies he inspired and championed in the world, including the Youth Olympics, which PNG has participated in since the inaugural event in Singapore in 2010.”
PNGOC secretary-general and IOC member Auvita Rapilla also expressed her deepest sympathies.
“We stand in solidarity with the other 205 national Olympic committees and IOC Member colleagues,” she said.
“We are inspired by his passion and devotion to the Olympic movement and values.”