Ottawa—Six sport governing bodies from Japan and Canada have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Friday, inspired by the desire to promote and strengthen cooperation between the two nations in the areas of high-performance sport, sport development, and social development through sport.
 

Signatories to the MoU include the Japan Sport Council, Own the Podium, Canadian Olympic Committee, Canadian Paralympic Committee, Canadian Olympic and Paralympic Sport Institute Network, and the Coaching Association of Canada.
 
The MoU provides an opportunity for organizations with a wide variety of expertise in sport to collaborate not only on furthering their aims, but more importantly, to tackle issues that are of importance in and out of sports, such as the empowerment of women leaders, and the implementation of sustainable development indicators.
 
“The growth of sport globally benefits all nations and sport participants,” said Anne Merklinger, chief executive officer, Own the Podium on behalf of Canada’s sport partners. “Canadian sport organizations have had a long-standing relationship with Japan, and have benefited from a collaborative relationship with the Japan Sport Council in the lead up to the Tokyo Games. This MOU presents an opportunity to expand the relationship and focus collaborative efforts on areas of sport that demand the right level of attention, expertise, and perspectives in order to improve the positive impacts of sport on our communities moving forward.”
 
Other areas of collaboration through the exchange of programs, experiences, skills, techniques, information, and knowledge include: 
 

• Training and competition of athletes and teams;
• Athlete development;
• Development of coaches and technical leaders;
• Exchange programs and visits by sports leaders, officials and sports personnel;
• Programs for sports sciences and sports medicine personnel;

• Programs in the areas of safe sport, sports education, sports management, and sports institutes and training centers;
• Technology, infrastructure and programs for the development of information and research in sports;
• Sport analytics; and
• Olympic and Paralympic Games projects – among others.

 
“Today more than ever, sport is fulfilling the important role of shaping a healthier society and environment by improving not just physical but also mental health, promoting mutual respect and empowering all members of our communities.” said Satoshi Ashidate, President of JSC, during his speech at the signing ceremony. “This new MoU enables us to work across sectors, bringing communities and nations together and through our research, achieving best practice and performance for our top athletes, which in turn provide incentives to the public to participate in sport.”
 
This collaborative framework is considered on the basis of reciprocity and mutual benefit. The MoU is non-binding and does not create legal relations between the parties, and will work in compliance with respective laws and regulations and in the spirit of the Olympic and Paralympic Movement. 
 
For additional information on the signing and each organization represented, please contact Dennis Blinn, VP Partnerships, Finance and Administration, Own the Podium at dennis.blinn@ownthepodium.org .
 
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