With a view to continuing regular contact between public authorities and the sporting movement, Minister of Sports, Romain Schneider, welcomed the President of the Luxembourgish Olympic and Sporting Committee (COSL), André Hoffmann and his delegation, on Tuesday 25 November 2015 at the National Sports Institute.
At this meeting, discussions were particularly focused on the implementation of the first concrete steps towards an integrated concept for sport in Luxembourg, developed by COSL in 2014, and the relative impacts on the budget of the Ministry of Sports in the near future. In this regard, the COSL was more critical in its opinion on the draft State budget 2016, whilst stating that no real impact was foreseen on the amount available for the Sports Ministry for the forecasted implementation from 2016. However, the COSL was of the opinion that the importance of sport in society was in need of more emphasis and consideration.
The COSL however expressed satisfaction at the efforts made by the Ministry of Sports under the Luxembourg Presidency of the Council of the European Union to highlight the economic and business contribution of sport through several European conferences which were held in the Grand Duchy on the topic of the economic impact of sport, promoting dual careers of athletes or the promotion of motor skills in children.
The impact of sport and physical activity on the cognitive abilities of children, particularly infants, pupils and students, continues to be closely studied to evaluate the opportunity to complete the national action plan 'Gesond iessen, méi bewegen' (GIMB) with a new chapter highlighting the benefits of sport on these same capabilities. Other potential projects include launching a new national action plan with the importance of sport and physical activity on the cognitive and intellectual abilities of young people as its theme, or to emphasise the importance of such activity for the quality of lifestyle or life expectancy of every individual.
The Ministry of Sports and COSL also wlcomed the first European Week of Sport which was held in September 2015 at the initiative of the European Commission, who recently decided to make it a permanent fixture in future sporting calendars. The Ministry of Sports and COSL also spoke of the upcoming sporting events of 2016, including the Winter Youth Olympic Games in Lillehammer and the Rio Olympic and Paralympic Games 2016. The Ministry and COSL agreed to enhance and further coordinate joint efforts in the field of medical care for elite athletes.
A joint working group will reportedly be established to define procedures for granting ais to sports associations from 2017. As the number of beneficiaries of this aid will increase comapred to the years 2014 to 2016, whilst parents' income will not a criterion for exclusion, it will be important to ensure an adequate supply of new budgets to be made availanle to the Ministry of Sports to this effect from 2017 whilst aiming to ensure the simplest of administrative procedures for granting such aid.
The Ministry of Sports and COSL concluded proceedings by agreeing to remain in close contact with a view to coordinating their work on several issues of general interest, such as the revision of the Grand Ducal regulation on sports medical examinations or questions relating to the integration of disadvantaged people and refugees through sports and sports clubs.
Photo by MSP (L-R: André Hoffmann, President of the COSL; Romain Schneider, Minister of Sports; Robert Thillens, Government Commissioner for Physical Education and Sports, Minister of Sports; Marc Marhekowitsch, General Administrator - General Coordination, Minister of Sports)
