INTERNATIONAL OLYMPIC ACADEMY 7th JOINT - IOA

feel that the departing point of this process is to ascertain a strong
basis upon which the set up of a National Olympic Academy (NOA)
can be founded as Keith Joseph (1998) describes NOAs as “pivotal in
their countries’ overall education programme.”
In 1994 (refer to table 1 and chart 1) the number of NOAs was 62
out of a total of 197 NOCs (31.47%), an amount which has increased
to 120 from 202 NOCs (59.40%) today, ten years later. (refer to table
2 and chart 2) Such percentages surely reflect the awareness of the
majority of NOCs around the world acknowledging the great
importance that should be given to the NOA.
However, from the 1994 list (refer to table 1 and chart 3) only four
small island states (11.11%) had already established their NOA while,
on the other hand, today twelve small island states (refer to table 2 and
chart 4) have their own NOA. Despite a rather weak increase of
22.22% over the last decade, it is very saddening to note that there are
24 NOCs (66.66%) representing small island states who are yet to
establish their own NOA. This fact in itself is already threatening as it
immediately gives us a clear indication that not all countries are
consistent in their approach, thus meaning that the opportunities being
given to students in different countries vary drastically.
From my research I have found out that the countries that have a
functional NOA are Aruba, Dominica, Iceland, Maldives, Malta, Sao
Tome and Principe, Seychelles and St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
Whilst no mention was made of any short term intentions by the
NOCs of Tonga and the Virgin Islands to set up a NOA in the near
future, it was good to know that Barbados are in the process of
rebuilding their own NOA after ceasing to function some years ago.
Aiming for a functioning National Olympic Academy
Understandably having a dormant NOA is just as bad as not
having one hence regular meetings between the members of the NOA
are of utmost importance as these surely give way to the continuous
development of the Olympic values and the Olympic culture. In this
regard, I think that a minimal meeting of once a month is sufficient, as
is the case in Malta and Iceland.
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