At its final Executive Board meeting of the year, held in the picturesque French town of Évian-les-Bains, across the lake from the Olympic capital, Lausanne, the International Hockey Federation (FIH) and its President, Tayyab Ikram, presented IOC Honorary President Thomas Bach with the prestigious FIH Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of his remarkable impact on sport and the Olympic Movement.
President Tayyab Ikram praised Bach’s leadership and legacy, saying: “Thomas Bach has always been a voice for athletes and a strong advocate of sporting values. Throughout his IOC Presidency, he has demonstrated exceptional leadership that enabled him to handle some major global challenges, including the COVID pandemic that threatened the Tokyo2020Olympic Games. Let’s be clear, it is thanks to Thomas Bach`s vision and determination that the Games went ahead, for which the entire Olympic movement will be forever grateful.”
He continued:
“Hon President Bach has been a tireless advocate of diversity and inclusion, empowering new nations and continents to excel. His vision for youth sport transformed the Youth Olympic Games, and he was instrumental also in giving sport a strong voice at the United Nations.”
On behalf of the Executive Board and the global hockey community, FIH President Tayyab Ikram presented IOC Honorary President Thomas Bach with the FIH Lifetime Achievement Award.
The IOC Honorary President, thanked the FIH President and EB members saying: “It’s a great pleasure for me to be here with you again. I met regularly with you and your President during my IOC Presidency, and I must say that these interactions were amongst the most pleasant and also inspiring ones because I was always learning about new developments, more innovations, creativity, and an acknowledgement of more social responsibility in your sport.
Hockey has a proud tradition of fair play and strong values that are deeply relevant and appreciated in today’s world. Under the leadership of President Ikram the FIH has evolved into a role model for other international federations. Keep going strong!”.
IOC Honorary President Thomas Bach served as the ninth President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) from 2013 to 2025 and alongside his honorary role, now serves as the Chair of the Olympic Refuge Foundation.
