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asked to do in our own society? The main tool, I would say, is education in school,
at home with your family, or with your athletes as a coach on the field. That's the
place where we could at least try to contribute our suggestions: fair play, get to
know your body, to respect nature, to learn self-discipline, etc., things which are
not only useful in sports but also in the world after taking part in competitions, as
a manager of an international company, as a teacher for physical education, as a
family father/mother or as a speaker of a parliament somewhere in the world.
Now, I would like to thank the IOA and all the NOCs for sending us to this peaceful
and beautiful place. I would like to thank also the Hellenic Olympic Committee
and the IOC for their support and help. I would also like to thank you
young participants in the 36th Session in ancient Olympia. It is not easy for all of
us to come to this point of saying goodbye, and to go back in our mother culture
where everything is like it is, as we have been used to for the last, let's say, 25
years. Actually, I don't want to say goodbye, because I would like to see you again
somewhere, sometime. There is one word, but I actually did not want to use it because,
as probably all of you realized while reading the participants' speeches of
1994, this certain word was already written down at the end of those two
speeches. But I can tell you, I cannot find a better one whether in French, German,
Italian, Spanish nor in Arabic or Chinese. So I will say again, So long my Olympic
friends, so long.
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