Mrs Kirsty Leigh Coventry marked a new chapter in 131 years’ history of modern Olympics, when she was elected as the 10th President of International Olympic Committee (IOC) in the 144th session in Costa Navrino, Greece, in ancient Olympia on March 20 for an eight-year term.

Coventry is the first woman ever elected as the President of the world elitist club, who had been historically dominated by men in its hierarchy. The 41-year old Coventry from Zimbabwe holds a hotel management degree from Auburn University, USA.

Coventry is a highly decorated Olympic swimmer, few of her international athletic accomplishments includes gold medals in 2004 & 2008 Olympics in 200-metre backstroke, silver in 2004 Olympics, 100-metre backstroke and gold medals in 2005 world championships and 11th African Games Brazzaville.

She also served as a member of the Executive Board of IOC from 2018 to 2021 as Chair of the Athletic Commission and member of the Zimbabwe National Olympic Committee in 2013, Vice President of the National Olympic Committee, IOC Athlete Representative on the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), Vice President of International Surfing Association, Minister of Sports in Zimbabwe (2018) and most importantly the Co-Founder of HEROES, a not for profit organisation that uses sport to deliver soft skills to children aged six to 13 years in underprivileged areas.

Coventry has replaced Thomas Bach who was early elected as President in 2013. Coventry was pitched against candidates like HRH Prince Faisal Al Hussein, David Lappartient, Johan Eliasch, Juan Antonio Samaranch, Morianari Watanabe and Lord Sebastian Coe. Kirsty received 49 votes out of 97 and will assume her prestigious office from June 23 this year.

The President-elect will oversee the Olympic Winter Games, “Milano Cortina 2026” as her first major Olympic assignment, followed by her meeting with the US President Donald Trump about 2028 Los Angeles Olympics where she has to steer the Olympic movement through the complex political and sporting scenes of new world order.

Challenges of climate change affecting the sports activities worldwide and the integrity and safety of athletes will be other major issues that the new president will have to address on priority.

Due to the complexity of new world order of President Trump, Russia and Israel still banned to participate in the Olympics and various sparest movements gaining momentum in the world, that may like to use the Olympic pedestal to highlight their issues globally, Mrs Coventry may find it challenging to fit her feet into the shoes of French Nobleman Baron Pierre de Coubertin, Henri Baillet of Belgium, Sigfrid Edstrom of Sweden, Aery Brundage of USA, Lord Killanin of Ireland and Juan Antonio Smaranch of Spain who held the office of the President prior to her.

The Olympic Games are the largest, regularly scheduled international gathering in the world, and as such they constitute a major political showplace. The international Olympic Committee (IOC), the master of the Game, plans the presentation of “theater” replete with “sacred” rituals.

Although many sport fans consider “politics” an unwelcome intruder in the Olympics, yet politics are in fact an integral part of Games.

Lord Kilanin, the head of the IOC in the decade of 70s confirmed this writing, “Ninety-five percent of my problems as president of the IOC involved national and international politics”. In practice, the political dimensions of the Games are diverse and complicated, ranging from the certification of national teams, through the interplay and intrigues of the various international sports organisations, to the infighting of the IOC.

Governments have tried to exploit the Games for their own ends, and at times the IOC itself put pressure on governments. It is no surprise, then, that the Games have served as a focus for national rivalries and ideological rivalries between states.

The majestic Olympic stage always appear very inviting to nonathletic groups. In the summer of 1996, the Olympic torch relay, symbolically carrying the news of the Games in Atlanta to the far corners of United States, had to consider the possibilities of protests when planning to cross territories ruled by Red Indian tribes. Similarly, in the midst of the preparations for the 2000 Games in Sydney, Australian aborigine groups protested against the Australian government land policies.

Coventry will certainly be dealing with complex international political challenges. The fate of Russians, a major sports force in the world is yet undecided in the wake of Ukraine war. It would also be interesting to see how the Islamic leadership reacts if Israel is given access to the Olympic Games in 2028.

Remember that Coventry and his team will also be looking for a host for 2036 Summer Olympics which could either go to wealthy Middle East or ambitious Indians and more importantly Nita Ambani a key IOC member voted in the favour of Kirsty Coventry.

Pakistan, with its mono sport culture, remains overjoyed on the inclusion of Cricket in 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. Yet they seemed unprepared to make their mark as a sports literate nation at such a mega event.

The Palestinian situation is also likely to remain dismal by the year 2028. What stance the Islamic Solidarity Sports Federation (ISSF) formed 39 years ago adopts along with the IOC members over this burning issue, will be a matter of great concern for all Muslim countries participating in the 2028 Olympics.

The President elect of IOC on her appointment said, “This is not just a huge honour but it is a reminder of my commitment to every single one of you that I will lead this organization with so much pride, with the values at the core. And I will make all of you very, very proud and hopefully extremely confident in the decision that you have taken today. This race was an incredible race and it made us better, made us a stronger movement”.

The time is not far when the Olympian swimmer will put her feet in to the troubled waters of Olympics world. This time the tides are high and water is rough, and the entire sports fraternity will be looking towards her to steer the boat, and open the gates of peace and harmony for the next generations through the key of sports, who are witnessing the gloom of wars and great recessions in the times to come.

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