Sport Industry Group

Ramsamy hails London ahead of Olympics- 2 Apr 2012 00:00:00

Sam Ramsamy, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) executive board member and one of the most popular and respected figures in sport, has praised London ahead of the city's hosting of the Olympic Games this year.

Ramsamy, who was one of the most prominent figures in the anti-apartheid movement and president of the South African Non-Racial Olympic Committee between 1976 and 1990, spent much of his time campaigning against the apartheid movement in east London, the area of the city now home to the Olympic Park.

Now a member of the IOC Coordination Commission for London 2012, Ramsamy hailed the city and the Labour party's role in the anti-apartheid movement, and predicted a hugely successful Olympic Games.

'This was an area I was in during a lot of my campaign,' he said in an exclusive interview with Inside The Games held in east London. 'In those days, the political party that supported us the most in our anti-apartheid campaign was the Labour Party. 

'They helped tremendously and although it has been forgotten by some, they should be complimented for the support they gave the anti-apartheid campaign. Without their support, perhaps we would not have been so effective. I will never forget that and I owe them a huge debt of gratitude.'

Ramsamy expects the Olympic Games in London to be a stand-out moment for the Olympic movement, telling Inside The Games: 'There is no doubt that Seb Coe, Paul Deighton and the entire London 2012 team have played a role that I have not seen in sport before. They have taken Olympism and the Olympic Games to a new dimension.'

Sam Ramsamy was awarded the Johnnie Walker Lifetime Achievement Award at the Virgin Active Sport Industry Awards in 2011.