Mr. President,
I have dedicated more than four decades of my life to sport. As an Olympic bronze medallist, a three-time Olympic champion, and an international sports official, I wish to address you today. I would like to express my gratitude to all of you for the many positive remarks you have made regarding sport for persons with disabilities. However, since we are discussing fair play and equal opportunities, I cannot remain silent on the need to protect women’s sport from harmful new trends. This is a crucial issue — indeed, I believe it is among the most important messages — that sport represents the best investment, for it is health that brings victory.
It is equally essential to recognise that sport serves as an important instrument of national identity. I am pleased that we speak often of this here in Parliament, yet we must take care not to make decisions similar to those that arose from the Bosman ruling, which severely damaged youth football development in many countries. It did not benefit local communities either, while it attracted excessive financial influence and shifted this beautiful sport far too heavily toward the commercial sphere.
I sincerely trust that together we will act with wisdom, for sport is not only a creation of modern times but also a legacy of ancient Europe — indeed, the concept of the modern Olympic Games was born here. Therefore, I am confident that we shall show collective wisdom. And let us not forget that sport remains a matter of national competence and forms an integral part of national identity.