And he has challenged the International Olympic Committee (IOC)  to do more to oblige organising committees to go beyond their basic responsibilities and engineer social change.

 

Speaking at the Global Sports Industry Congress here, Koss, who won three speed skating golds at the 1994 Winter Games, commented: "I think the opportunity to discuss China’s position on human rights in a good way was lost in the lead-up to last year’s Beijing Games.

 

"To say that the Torch Relay will be restricted to host countries because of protests is, I think, nuts .”
 

Koss, now President and chief executive of the internationally recognised non-Government organisation Right to Play, believes the IOC needs to encourage those organising global events more to look more actively beyond their basic requirements to assist sports development among the young.

"At the recent IOC congress in Copenhagen I heard a lot of talk about athletes being more ethical in relation to issues such as doping, but the members didn’t look at how national federations and organising committees need to change," Koss said.

"The leaders in sport should have a responsibility to do more than just staging and hosting an event."

Koss’s view was backed up by Erica Kerner, the Global Olympic Games Director and Head of London 2012 Programme for Adidas, who added: "I believe the IOC doesn’t challenge the sponsors or organising committees to do a lot that they could in this area.

 

"Bodies like the IOC should look to use the power they have to alter the local approach to events such as the Olympic Games.
 

"Although most corporate sponsors will have their own sports development programmes in place,

 

"I think they would be happy to be directed more strongly by bodies such as the IOC.

 

"Perhaps the IOC could study the FIFA model in this area."

Delegates challenged Prince Feisal Al Hussein of Jordan to comment on how Middle Eastern countries might have a positive effect upon relations between western and Islamic  nations by either bidding or staging international events.
 

The Prince refuted the basic premise that differences between western and Islamic nations formed the main cause of international friction, suggesting that this may be a product of media commentaries.

But he acknowledged that in many cases the problem was one of perception. "Jordan very often is seen as being between Iraq and a hard place," he said with a smile.

 

"But we have found with the sporting events we have organised in our country that we can alter those perceptions.

 

"People can arrive thinking 'Middle East, conflict, bombing, terrorism' and they are very nervous.

 

"But when they get here their experience is very different, and very pleasant. People say, 'I never thought it could be so nice.'

"Africa often suffers in the same way.

 

"There are many good things going on there, and many great opportunities for investment, but because there are some bad things going on there too Africa gets reported upon as if it was one huge swathe."

Abdul-Rashid Hassan Pelpuo, the Minister of Youth and Sports for Ghana, applauded the decision to host the next World Cup finals in South Africa, but said more needed to be done to highlight the host nation.

 

"We need to re-think how we look at Africa, and we need to look again at our PR.

 

"If reports are true that ticket sales are down among European nations then that is very worrying."

Peter Kenyon, the chief executive of Premiership club Chelsea, also acknowledged that the World Cup should be spread around the world, but added that hosting big football tournaments could still make a substantial difference to more established nations in altering the way they were perceived internationally.

 

Contact the writer of this story at [email protected].