After the state memorial ceremony for the murder of the 11 Munich martyrs, the president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Thomas Bach, held a special press conference.
"It's a great honor for the invitation," said Bach, "We had a very emotional day, experiencing the memory again after this tragic event. It doesn't only hurt these families for the entire people of Israel, the wound is still open, we feel their feelings but now it's easier for them" .
Ilana Romano, the widow of the late Yosef, photo: Oren Aharoni
Bach also added: "The families appreciated the ceremony at the Tokyo Olympics, can we be sure that we will continue the memory of the 11 victims of Munich, an Olympics in Israel? We will always welcome any proposal to hold Olympic Games, certainly with a message of peace."
Yael Arad at the moving ceremony, photo: Oren Aharoni
Regarding the non-participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes, he said: "In the International Olympic Committee, we clarified our position towards the participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes following the war in Ukraine and not to hold any events there. We gave our recommendation to the sports federations, in principle this is their decision. We hope that there will always be a unifying Olympics for peace."
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