IOC president Jacques Rogge, who arrived for the opening ceremony of China's 9th National Games on november 10, showed up at the international symposium of the International Military Sport Council (CISM) which opened Novemner 11.
Rogge spoke positively of the role played by CISM, which has developed into one of the three biggest comprehensive sporting organizations in the world.
He said that many of the high-level athletes of the Olympics have come from the armed forces, and CISM has contributed very much to the staging and organization of world-class sporting events.
"Forty percent of the medal winners in 1998 Nagano Winter Games belong to the armed forces," said the IOC president.
On the other side, sport is also important to the armed forces, he continued.
"Sport transcends the bodies and minds, it teaches both individual and collective discipline, it teaches the work of team, it is a lesson of self control, and it provides health," he said.
"IOC is therefore very glad to be closely associated with CISM, " he added.
The five-day symposium, organized by the Guangzhou-based Sports Academy of the Chinese People's Liberation Army, is the first of its kind ever held in Asia.
(Xinhua News Agency November 12,2001)
