体坛英语新闻：Roundup: Bach's 40-point reform package overwhelmingly approved by IOC session

MONTE CARLO, Dec. 8 (Xinhua) -- Thomas Bach could not have asked for a smoother voting process on his reform package of 40 recommendations here at the 127th IOC Session in Monaco on Monday.

The 96 of the International Olympic Committee's 104 strong membership present unanimously approved all the 40 points, voted on individually by showing hands, without vetoes and abstentions.

It also has been ahead of schedule as the debate and voting on Olympic Agenda 2020 were scheduled to last one and a half days.

"Even in my wildest dreams, I would not have expected this," said Bach, who's been in reign of the world's biggest multi-sport event's governing body since Sept. 2013.

"It showed the great determination of the members for these reforms and to make this progress and make it happen," added the German lawyer during a press conference following the meeting.

The reform package has been expected to set a "roadmap" for the next 15 years of the Olympic movement.

Among the 40 resolutions, there are eye-catching ones on shaping bids, reducing the cost of bidding for and hosting the Games, a more flexible program, as well as creation of an Olympic TV channel.

With the new bidding system, potential candidates will be able to collaborate with the IOC during the invitation phase rather than launching a big-spending campaign, and a joint bid will be allowed.

Under the new rules for future Olympic program, the IOC will drop the limit of 28 sports for the Summer Games and instead limit it to 10,500 athletes and 310 events, moving from a sport-based to an event-based program, while for Winter Games, the "cap" is 2,900 athletes and 100 events.

Also the local organizing committee of certain edition of Olympic Games will be allowed to make a proposal for the inclusion of one or more additional events on program, boosting the hopes of baseball and softball's return and Squash and Karate's inclusion in Tokyo 2020.

"Olympic Agenda 2020 is like a jigsaw puzzle," commented Bach, who initiated the Olympic Agenda 2020 discussion a year and a half ago. "Now that you have approved all 40 recommendations, you can see the whole picture.

"It is a picture of progress. It is a picture that ensures the uniqueness of the Olympic Games. It is a picture that promotes the Olympic values. And it is a picture that strengthens sport in society."

The 40 reform solutions also see including sustainability in all aspects of the Olympic Games and within the Olympic movement's daily operations, protecting clean athletes and strategy about youth among other blueprints for future.

"I hope this will prove to be an important day for the Olympic movement. I'm positive that today we took the right decisions, with a vision for the future of the Olympic movement getting closer to the youth and to the people," Bach told the press conference.

"I hope in 20 years I can look back to this day with satisfaction and happiness and maybe a little bit of relief," he further added while responding to another question.