Diane de Navacelle de Coubertin, a descendant of the founder of the modern Olympic Games Pierre de Coubertin, spoke about her great-great-grand-uncle's vision of using sports as a powerful tool to unite people globally in an interview with China Global Television Network.
Inspired by the ancient Greek games, de Coubertin founded the modern Olympic Games in the late 19th century to foster international friendship, respect and excellence, aiming to promote global peace and understanding through sports, said the founder's great-great-grand-niece.
"He believed that sports was an amazing tool to unite people, and it was for him important to have. When he created the modern Olympic Games, he was inspired from the antique Games. In the antique Games, it was only in Greece, but Pierre wanted to use the Games to make the world meet. And he wanted those Games to travel around the world so that the cultures of the world could meet one another. And if they met through sports and if they talked and went through the three Olympic values of friendship, respect and excellence, if you meet people, you get to know them, instead of being afraid or going to war because you don't know who is against you. Maybe you'll start by discussing and finding solutions together. So, that is really one red thread for Pierre de Coubertin, is that sports is a way of contributing and helping peace in the world," she said.
Pierre de Coubertin founded the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in 1894, leading to the first modern Games in Athens in 1896.
Descendant of modern Olympics founder honors vision of global unity through sports
