Opening Ceremony hits all the right notes as 128th IOC Session opens in Kuala Lumpur

The 128th Session of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) officially got under way tonight with a music-themed Opening Ceremony at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

The IOC Members were greeted by Olympic Council of Malaysia President and IOC Member HRH Prince Tunku Imram, who delivered the welcome speech.

In the keynote speech, IOC President Thomas Bach detailed the great impact the Olympic Agenda 2020 reforms, approved at the last IOC Session in December 2014, have already had on the Olympic Movement. He called on the IOC Members to continue the process of change with the same energy as on the day the strategic roadmap for the future of the Olympic Movement was passed, 8 December 2014.

Opening Ceremony of the 128th Session IOC President Thomas Bach during his speech at the Opening Ceremony of the 128th IOC Session. ©IOC : Ian Jones

President Bach said: “We have a big year ahead of us and a big agenda to tackle. These are exciting times. There are a lot of ‘firsts’ on our plan – the first Olympic Games in South America; the launch of the first Olympic Channel; the first full participation of the IOC with the United Nations to shape the future of the global community.

“Let us use these many ‘firsts’ as an inspiration to celebrate our unity in diversity. The Olympic Agenda 2020 has set us on the right path forward. If we are united in our vision and our values, then our future will be one of progress.”

The IOC President was followed at the podium by the Prime Minister of Malaysia, Dato’ Sri Najib Tun Razak.

The evening took a musical turn from there, with a song commissioned exclusively for the event by HRH Prince Imram getting things started. “Together in the Spirit of the Games” was composed by the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra for performance by the Malaysian Philharmonic Youth Orchestra. The Youth Orchestra then performed more traditional Malaysian music, including the popular song “Tanah Pusaka.”

The election of the host cities for the Olympic Winter Games 2022 and the Winter Youth Olympic Games 2020 will be the highlights of the upcoming IOC Session, which begins tomorrow and concludes on 3 August. The entire IOC Session will be broadcast live on Olympic.org. Tune in to see where the Games will go in 2022 – to Almaty (Kazakhstan) or Beijing (China)*; and which city will host the Winter Youth Olympic Games in 2020 – Brasov (Romania) or Lausanne (Switzerland)**.

* cities listed in the order of drawing of lots

** cities listed in alphabetical order