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UNIVERSAL PROGRESSOLYMPIC REVIEW LOOKS AT THE HISTORY AND DEVELOPMENT OF OLYMPIC SOLIDARITY, AND DISCOVERS HOW THE SUPPORT IT OFFERS TO ATHLETES AND NOCs HELPS TO ENSURE THE UNIVERSALITY OF THE GAMESAccording to IOC President Thomas Bach, “The secret to the magic of the Olympic Games is its diversity and universality.” Indeed, the inclusive nature of the Games was clear for all to see during the most recent summer edition – in London in 2012 – where athletes from 204 countries and territories took part. And that number could be even higher in Rio de Janeiro later this year, with the official recognition of the National Olympic Committees (NOCs) of Kosovo and South Sudan meaning a record 206 NOCs could send athletes to the Games in Brazil. Compare that with the first modern Olympic Games in Athens in 1896, when just 14 countries were represented, or even with those in Melbourne in 1956, which saw 72 nations competing, and you can see just how universal the Games have become. Much of the growth over the last 50 years can be attributed to the creation of the Olympic Solidarity programmes, which aim to help athletes from developing nations reach a standard that enables them to compete at the Games, ensuring the universality of the event.The seeds of Olympic Solidarity were sown in the early 1960s, when the IOC created an assistance programme to help the NOCs of newly independent countries – particularly in Africa and Asia – support and develop their athletes. The Committee for International Olympic Aid (CAIO), as it was known, was approved by the 60th IOC Session in 1962, but a lack of financial resources limited its initial impact. By 1971, the CAIO was merged with the International Institute for the Development of NOCs to become the Committee for Olympic Solidarity, which continued working towards its goal of improving the assistance offered to the NOCs that needed it most.But with more than 50 new NOCs being established during the 1960s and 1970s – mainly in countries with very few resources – it became clear that more funding was required in order to make significant progress in the development of sport in these countries.After the Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC) was established in 1979, it proposed that the IOC allocate 20 per cent of the Olympic Games television rights to the NOCs in order to cover its activities and administrative duties. With increased funding, Olympic Solidarity began to develop in earnest and the election of Juan Antonio Samaranch as IOC President in 1980 further helped this progress.At the Olympic Congress in Baden-Baden (Germany) in 1981, President Samaranch and ANOC President Mario Vázquez Raña agreed upon the creation of the Olympic Solidarity Commission, including an updated strategy to respond to the interests and needs of the NOCs. This consolidation and development further underlined the IOC’s commitment to developing sport throughout the world by working closely with the NOCs.“Olympic Solidarity has a leading role to play,” said President Samaranch at the time. “It has been created not only to help but also to make closer the ties between the IOC and the NOCs. It is through Olympic Solidarity that we are able to try and overcome the imbalances and the inequalities. The IOC, too, needs the understanding and the backing of the National Olympic Committees. The purpose of Olympic Solidarity is therefore not only to help but also to unite.”64 OLYMPIC REVIEW OLYMPIC SOLIDARITY