The transfer of the Olympic games for 2021 – step painful, but probably only possible in a pandemic. The problem, however, lies in the fact that the transfer of this means for the international Olympic movement the serious crisis.
The reasons for this crisis is largely rooted in long-established funding structure of the sport. It is no secret that a number of international sports federations makes ends meet only through direct payments by the IOC, which come once in 4 years – almost immediately after the end of the next summer Games.
Consider the situation in the most close to us and our readers Federation – World Sailing. Here’s what he wrote magazine Yacht Russia a couple of years ago (since then, believe me, little has changed):
“The world sailing Federation is nearly complete and longstanding bankrupt (and this circumstance for a long time very carefully hid from the General public). The annual cost WS about twice the income of the organization, which in non-Olympic years are only two to three million pounds, of administrative expenses (that is just for the maintenance of the apparatus) goes from half to four million pounds. Only a few large amount going for direct core costs of the Federation: the organization of competitions and various sailing and okolomatocnah events.
As a consequence the annual budget WS sorely deficient: annual shortfall is estimated at millions of pounds. The magnitude of this deficit is quite stable year after year only growing”.
And further:
“So what is living World Sailing, the reader will ask? And it’s very simple – the deficit is exclusively due to the fact that during the years of the Olympiads direct payments from the IOC have a size of about ten million pounds, offsetting the WS all the losses of the previous non-Olympic years.”
Cite specific data. After the 2012 Games, the amount that the IOC turned Federation of sail, was 8 million 807 thousand pounds. After the 2016 Games- 11 million 772 thousand pounds. This year “Olympic tranche” would have to reach 12 million 240 thousand. But…
But the Olympics aren’t for another year. “Cash infusion” is also postponed. For World Sailing (and other international federations) is an absolute disaster and almost the only choice in this situation – asking the IOC not to wait another year, and transfer funds this fall.
IOC to these requests has not yet reacted (at least officially). Although the money he just is, and considerable. For the previous Olympic cycle (2013 – 2016) the international Olympic Committee earned $ 5.7 billion!
Logical question: why would the IOC in the current, critical for a significant number of international federations, the situation is not to go to early – and, of course, the saving – payments? And why, if you have the money, these payments do not increase, facilitating the existence of a number of sports?
We think, in the near future the International Olympic Committee will have to respond to this problem. He’s simply no other way.
What do you think?