Incoming IOC chief hails greater equality in Olympic movement, pledging support for conflict-stricken athletes

Kirsty Coventry, the newly elected president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), highlighted on Friday the remarkable progress in advancing equality and diversity within the Olympic movement over the past 12 years.

Coventry, speaking in an interview with China Global Television Network (CGTN) in Greece's Costa Navarino, also emphasized the need to build on this progress and ensure its impact extends beyond the IOC.

"We've achieved so many good things, especially when it comes to equality and diversity within the movement over the last 12 years, and we've now got to leverage off of that. I think we're doing a really incredible job in the IOC and I would like us to filter that down to the international federations, the national Olympic committees, the national federation. So there'll be a big focus on that, a lot of work to do, but there is a really incredible momentum right now and I want us to leverage off that momentum," said Coventry.

In addition to advancing inclusivity in sports, Coventry acknowledged the pressing global challenges affecting athletes, particularly conflicts impacting her home continent of Africa. She called for a proactive approach to safeguarding athletes during turbulent times.

"We've got conflicts around the world, especially on my continent at the moment as well. This challenge I don't really see going away anytime soon. So I'd like to set up a task force that is going to look at coming up with some policies and some frameworks that will allow for us as a movement to navigate these very sensitive times with some core principles of protecting and supporting athletes," said Coventry.

Coventry, 41, was elected as the 10th IOC president on Thursday, becoming the first woman and the first African to lead the global Olympic movement.

She won the presidency in the first round of voting during the 144th IOC Session in Greece and will take office after June 23, succeeding Thomas Bach.

Coventry has served as Zimbabwe's Minister of Youth, Sport, Arts, and Recreation since 2018. A former Olympic swimming champion, she is one of Africa's most decorated athletes, with seven Olympic medals, including two golds.

Incoming IOC chief hails greater equality in Olympic movement, pledging support for conflict-stricken athletes

Incoming IOC chief hails greater equality in Olympic movement, pledging support for conflict-stricken athletes

Ali Abdollahi, chief commander of Iran's main military command Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, had met the country's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, presenting the leader with a report of the country's armed forces' readiness, the official news agency IRNA reported on Sunday.

During the meeting, Abdollahi said they are well-prepared to counter the "hostile actions" of the United States and Israel, the report said, without specifying the date of the session.

If the United States and Israel perpetrate any act of aggression against Iran, the Iranian armed forces will respond to them "swiftly, intensely, and powerfully," Abdollahi said.

Khamenei praised the country's "brave and powerful" armed forces and outlined new measures to continue the fight against the enemies.

Iran's Assembly of Experts in early March announced the appointment of Mojtaba Khamenei as the country's new supreme leader. His appointment came after Ali Khamenei, his father and Iran's former supreme leader, was assassinated in a U.S.-Israeli attack in Tehran on Feb. 28 Also on Sunday, Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian said that 'the Iranian nation will never bow down to the enemy, and if there is talk of dialogue or negotiation, it does not mean surrender or retreat," according to a statement published on his office's website.

Top military commander meets Iran's supreme leader, briefs on military readiness