Farrugia retains IOAPA post

The eighth working conference of the International Olympic Academy Participants Association (IOAPA) was held recently in Olympia, Greece. As vice president, Carlo Farrugia was in charge of organising and chairing this conference, which was attended by more than 60 members.

In elections held during the conference for the executive board, Farrugia was again reconfirmed as vice president for another term. He has occupied the post for the last six years.

During the conference delegates formulated an action plan to disseminate Olympic ideals through national Olympic committees and academies.

Various members made presentations of what was done in their countries during the last two years. The Athens 2004 Olympic Games, Olympic Youth Camp and Torch Relay were also discussed.

IOAPA members are eligible to act as volunteers and all participants have shown their commitment to return to Athens in August 2004 and get involved in the Olympics.

Farrugia, who is also the national coach of the women's basketball team which won gold in the GSSE in June, started his relationship with the Olympic family in 1995 when he attended the conference for young participants at the International Olympic Academy. In 1997 he returned to the Academy and was elected IOAPA vice president.

In 2000 and 2001, Farrugia acted as a co-ordinator of an International Olympic Academy session and was one of the lecturers invited by the Olympic Academy of Ecuador in November 2001.