The IOC President Jacques Rogge officially opened the 50th ISSF World Championship in all shooting events in Munich, today.
Marienplatz, the main square of the city, become the centre of the shooting sport’s world for two hours this afternoon, as about three thousands spectators, a few hundreds of athletes and tenths of journalists gathered to follow the opening ceremony of the 50th ISSF World Championship in all shooting events, filling the most representative square of the Bavarian capital.
The IOC President Jacques Rogge, invited on the stage to officially open the match by the ISSF President Olegario Vazquez Raña, addressed a few intense words to the athletes parading through the square “I would like to welcome you athletes to Munich. You are competing not only for the medals, but for the very special goal of qualifying for the London 2012 Olympic Games!” said Dr. Rogge, mentioning the fact that this is going to be the first qualifying event for the London 2012 Games.
“Having more than 2500 athletes from 105 countries competing for an Olympic qualification spot here in Munich is a clear and indubitable prove of universality of the shooting sport. I am very glad about that!” added the IOC President later on.
Mr. Olegario Vazquez Raña, who has just been re-elected at the guide of the ISSF, answered to the IOC President from the stage “Thank you for being here, Dr. Rogge, and thank you for the support and the interest you have always shown for shooting!” said Mr. Raña “We keep on working for the development of our sport, a sport which is clean and that regards fair play and universality as its core values!”
The President of the German Olympic Committee, and IOC Vice-President, Mr. Thomas Bach, also saluted the participants: “It is an honour for our country to host such a record-breaking Olympic Qualifying competition. – He said from the stage - Good luck to all the athletes, and good luck to the city of Munich, in its run to host the 2018 Winter Olympic Games!”
The Prime Minister of Bavaria, Horst Seehofer, the Mayor of Munich Christian Ude, and the President of the German Shooting Federation Mr. Ambacher, also saluted the athletes during the opening ceremony, giving their warmest welcome to the participating athletes.
Mr. Christian Ude, the Lord Mayor of the City of Munich, remarked the special boundaries existing between the Bavarian Capital and the shooting sport “We wish you will feel at home, here in Munich. – He said - The Shooting Sport has a long tradition in our city and in our country. Just think about it: our traditional Oktober Fest, a 6-million visitors festival, nowadays like in the past only ends when a new “shooting king” is elected!”
The first competition shots of the 50th ISSF World Championship in all shooting events will be fired tomorrow morning at the 1972 Olympic Shooting Range of Munich. The competition, which is the first 2012 Olympic Qualifying event, broke every record with 2500 participants from 105 countries, who will compete in 55 different events from tomorrow to the 11th of August. 69 Olympic Quota Places, the entrance tickets for the next Games, will be distributed to the best finalists in the 15 Olympic events of Rifle, Pistol and Shotgun shooting in the next days.
The 15 Olympic Finals of Shotgun, Rifle and Pistol, as well as the Running Target medal matches, will be broadcasted live by the ISSF TV on the ISSF website at www.issf-sports.org . Furthermore, the 15 Olympic Finals will also be broadcasted worldwide by the Eurovision distribution network.