Arnold Green

Arnold Green (born August 30, 1920 in Riga , Latvia ; † November 4, 2011 ) was one of the most important Estonian sports officials of the 20th century.

Early years

Arnold Green attended school in Rakvere and passed his Abitur there. In August 1940, shortly after the occupation of Estonia by the Soviet Union , Arnold Green became a member of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Estonia (EKP).

Communist functionary

Arnold Green graduated from the higher party school in history in Moscow . He then worked in Estonia for the communist newspaper Rahva Hääl ("People's Voice"), of which he was editor-in-chief during the Stalinist era . In 1953 Green became Vice Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic , was Minister of Education from 1958 to 1962 and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Estonian SSR from 1962 to 1990.

Olympic movement

At the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich , Green was one of the head of the Soviet delegation. His main task was the Olympic sailing competitions in Kiel-Schilksee . The same task fell to him at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal with the sailing competitions in Kingston .

Arnold Green was the main person responsible for organizing the Olympic sailing competitions in Tallinn at the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow . He was also responsible for the construction of the important additional buildings related to the Olympic Games such as the yacht and sailing center in the Pirita district , Tallinn Airport , the Tallinn TV Tower and the Linnahall event center . As one of the highest sports officials in Estonia, he gained great influence on politics, sport and society. The construction of numerous other sports facilities in Estonia can be traced back to his initiative (including the sports stadium of the University of Tartu , the Kalev stadium in Tallinn, the Kääriku sports center near Otepää ).

Estonian Olympic Committee

Shortly before Estonian regained independence, Green was freely elected in 1989 as the first president of the re-established Estonian Olympic Committee ( Estonian Eesti Olümpiakomitee ). He held the office until 1997. In this capacity he headed the Estonian delegations to the Olympic Games in Albertville , Barcelona , Lillehammer and Atlanta . He was also President of the Central Federation of Estonian Sports (Eesti Spordi Keskliit) , the Estonian Wrestling Association (Eesti Maadlusliit) and the Estonian Ski Association (Eesti Suusaliit) .

In 2001 he was awarded the Olympic Medal by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) . Green was honorary president of the Estonian Olympic Committee from 2002.

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Suri endine Eesti Olümpiakomitee president Arnold Green (Estonian) Retrieved November 4, 2011.