According to the MOB president, the most memorable moment of the year was the first individual Winter Olympic gold

"This year's biggest sporting event was the Beijing Winter Olympics, and the most memorable moment was, of course, the first individual Winter Olympic title," recalled Zsolt Gyulay, referring to the triumph of short track speed skater Liu Shaoang in the 500 meters.

Regarding the ongoing change of country of the Liu brothers, he explained that they owe them a debt of gratitude, as they have done an extremely great job, which "put Hungary on the Winter Olympic map".

"These two boys are world class. They are not only talented, but also hardworking and humble. As a former competitor, I completely understand that they see their preparation as guaranteed if they stay together with their coach who has been called back to China. It is another matter that it is not good for them to leave, and continue in other colors. They are very popular in China, this also brings financial benefits, but their father is Chinese and their mother is Hungarian, so this is an extremely special situation," said Zsolt Gyulay, who at the same time emphasized that the supply of ice skating is good, so it continues to be good trusts in results.

"The task of the 127-year-old MOB is to represent 500,000 elite athletes and 20,000 coaches, as well as journalists and sports professionals who also participate in sports successes. This is an amazing community that must be held together and kept on fire," said the president, who was elected on January 29, about his new task. sports director. "The MOB must provide a supportive environment for the competitors to go to the Olympics and other competitions as true warriors who will fight to the end".

Zsolt Gyulay, two-time Olympic champion as a kayaker, emphasized, "Hungary has an amazingly high level of respect, as it regards sports as a strategic sector, and this is also reflected in the organization of world events".

"The Aquatics World Championships in Budapest were fantastic this summer, not only in terms of competitors, but also in terms of sports diplomacy. Many IOC members visited Budapest, and IOC President Thomas Bach met with the President of the Republic Katalin Novák and Prime Minister Viktor Orbán," the 58-year-old sports leader recalled.

Regarding next year's top event, the World Athletics Championships, Gyulay said, "there are still tasks, but everything will be ready". He also emphasized that those who only see the facility under construction as a stadium do not realize how important it is for the entire sport, since athletics is a basic sport that plays an extremely important role in the education of youth.

"Anyone who learns to run and has good movement coordination can become a great soccer, handball, or basketball player. I hope this World Cup will give a big boost to domestic athletics," added Gyulay.

Regarding the possible summer Olympic bid, he stated that the MOB's statutes state that the organization must strive to organize an Olympic event. He noted: when he talks to international sports leaders, everyone says that "Budapest would benefit from an Olympics".

"The task of the MOB is to strengthen social acceptance, which is represented by sport and Olympism," stated Zsolt Gyulay, who mentioned in connection with the long-term plans that the MOB should have a headquarters and a sports museum that is unparalleled in the world, because it has such treasures , which must be preserved for posterity.

Regarding the goals related to the upcoming 2024 Paris Olympics, he explained that the MOB sat down with the representatives of all sports, and based on the consultations, a quota of between 114 and 210 is realistic. According to his wording, this is quite broad, but he added that the number of participants is significantly affected by the performance of the teams.

(Source: Source: sportrajongo.hu, mti/Photo: pixabay, mti)