世界奧運人總會（WOA）通過了12個新成員國加入世界奧會，這將使原有的96個會員國增加到108個。新的會員國分別來自阿爾及利亞、貝寧、保加利亞、喀麥隆、捷克共和國、赤道幾內亞、斯威士蘭、賴索托、毛里求斯、沙特阿拉伯、塞拉利昂和委內瑞拉。

在投票之前，這些新的成員國得到了WOA發展官員的協助，以確保他們符合WOA的會員資格標準。新加入的成員國即刻可以申請WOA每年的發展補助金和「為社會服務/為奧林匹亞選手服務」的資助，並享受WOA提供的其他福利。

他們還可以與其他WOA會員國、國際奧會運動員委員會成員、國際奧會工作人員和奧林匹克相關專業人員，一起參加即將在九月份在伊斯坦堡舉行的WOA世界奧林匹亞運動會論壇。

WOA主席喬爾·布祖表示：「我很高興看到WOA大家庭在不斷擴大。今年我們有12個國家成功的申請，還有一些想申請或申請中但尚未完全符合會員資格標準，這表明奧林匹亞選手們明白建立國家奧林匹亞運動會協會對他們自己、其他奧運選手和所服務的社區都有好處，這就是奧林匹克運動的價值。」

ACTIONS

WOA welcomes new member associations

29 | 5 | 2023

The WOA General Assembly has voted in 12 new National Olympians Associations to join the existing 96 members. The new member associations are based in: Algeria, Benin, Bulgaria, Cameroon, Czech Republic, Equatorial Guinea, Eswatini, Lesotho, Mauritius, Saudi Arabia, Sierra Leone and Venezuela.

The new members were aided by the WOA Development Officers to ensure that they satisfied the WOA membership criteria prior to the vote. The new dozen can now apply for the annual WOA Development Grant and the Service to Society/Service to Olympians grants as well as take advantage of the other benefits offered by WOA.

They can also attend the upcoming WOA World Olympians Forum taking place in Istanbul in September along with the other WOA member associations, members of the IOC Athletes’ Commission, IOC staff and Olympic stakeholders.

WOA President Joel Bouzou said: “I’m delighted to see the WOA family grow. The fact that we had 12 successful applications this year, along with a few others who have yet to meet the full membership criteria, just shows that Olympians understand the benefit of forming a National Olympians Association for themselves, their fellow Olympians and the communities that they serve based on the values of the Olympic Movement.”