在本月20日（明天）巴赫正式卸任，下一届国际奥委会掌门人新鲜出炉前夕，我们远程采访了七位IOC主席候选人，与他们展开对话。
采访费萨尔·阿尔·侯赛因王子殿下（HRH Prince Feisal Al Hussein）时，他身后的墙上，悬挂着其胞兄-约旦国王阿卜杜拉二世的威严画像；与笑意盈然的他对照鲜明。他的温和与亲善，让我联想到“Prince”的另一层含义-“亲王”，在这里，我将其释义为“亲善的王子”。这也正契合他在竞选中所倡导的理念：通过体育促进团结与和平，推动奥林匹克运动走向更加公平与包容的未来。
然而，面对这样一位温文尔雅的王室成员，我脑海中却萦绕着一个尖锐的问题。不知道为什么会这样，可能因为他身处王权家族，拥有超凡影响力，潜意识里相信他或许有能力解决这个难题？于是不吐不快，我提出了这个常年采访困扰已久的问题。
虽然奥运会囊括诸多赛事，但仍有许多体育项目长期寻求跻身奥运，却面临重重挑战。比如飞镖、斯诺克、九球、事实上所有台球项目（均尚未进入奥运大家庭）、比如武术、太极等等……我曾采访一位世界大赛主席，他为此奋斗二十多年，仍视其为毕生梦想。如果当选IOC主席，你如何面对这些挑战？如何确保奥运会多样性与包容性，平衡传统项目与未入奥（非奥运）项目？
费萨尔·阿尔·侯赛因王子：
这是个好问题啊。当前的最大挑战在于运动员总数和比赛项目的限制。如果要增加新项目，就必须删除现有项目，这始终是一个艰难且充满争议的抉择。
IOC确实有一套评估流程，但并不容易执行。在亚洲，我们有室内运动会（Indoor Games）和武术运动会（Martial Arts Games），这些赛事已经容纳了台球、斯诺克，乃至电竞等非传统奥运项目，提供了展示运动员实力的平台。
虽然这还不是理想方案，但奥运会的可持续性必须优先考虑。假如让所有国际体育联合会（IFs）都加入，奥运规模可能会膨胀至三、四万人，大幅增加主办成本，影响赛事的可行性。
我们希望让更多项目参与，但现实是，奥运会必须在16天内完成，赛事规模和成本都必须严格控制。如何在传统与创新之间找到平衡，确保奥运既包容又可持续，是IOC未来需要持续优化的关键问题……
May Zhao in Conversation with Prince Feisal: IOC Presidential Frontrunner Responds to the Call for Non-Olympic Sports
As Thomas Bach steps down tomorrow on the 20th, the next President of the International Olympic Committee is about to be revealed. On the eve of this historic announcement, we conducted exclusive remote interviews with all seven candidates vying for the IOC presidency.
During my conversation with His Royal Highness Prince Feisal Al Hussein, I was struck by the contrast in the scene: on the wall behind him hung a dignified portrait of his elder brother, King Abdullah II of Jordan. In front of it sat Prince Feisal himself, smiling warmly and exuding a gentle, approachable charm. His kindness and sincerity made me reflect on the word “Prince”—a title that, in different cultural contexts, can imply a “Qin Wang,” or in this case, a “kind-hearted prince.” It perfectly aligns with the vision he advocates in his campaign: using sport to promote unity and peace, and leading the Olympic Movement toward a fairer and more inclusive future.
Yet, as I sat across from this gracious royal figure, one sharp question kept lingering in my mind. Perhaps it was his royal lineage and far-reaching influence that gave me the sense he might hold the key to resolving a long-standing dilemma. Unable to hold back, I posed a question that has long troubled me as a journalist covering international sport.
May Zhao:
While the Olympics feature a wide range of sports, many disciplines have been striving for decades to gain inclusion—yet they still stand outside the Olympic family. Darts, snooker, nine-ball, and in fact all cue sports remain absent, as do sports like wushu and tai chi. I once interviewed the president of a world championship federation who has dedicated over twenty years of his life to achieving Olympic recognition for his sport—still considering it his ultimate dream. If elected IOC President, how would you address these challenges? How would you ensure diversity and inclusion within the Olympic Games, balancing the legacy of traditional events with the aspirations of non-Olympic sports?
HRH Prince Feisal Al Hussein:
That’s a very good question. The greatest challenge we currently face is the limit on the number of athletes and events. To add new sports, we would have to remove existing ones—a decision that is always difficult and often controversial.
The IOC does have an evaluation process in place, but it’s not easy to implement. In Asia, we have platforms such as the Indoor Games and the Martial Arts Games, where sports like cue sports, snooker, and esports have already found a place to showcase their athletes and competitions.
While this is not an ideal solution, the sustainability of the Olympic Games must be our priority. If we were to open the Games to every international sports federation, we could be facing 30,000 to 40,000 athletes, massively increasing hosting costs and jeopardizing the feasibility of the event.
We do want to include more sports, but the reality is the Games must be completed within 16 days. Strict control over the scale and costs is essential. Striking a balance between tradition and innovation—and ensuring the Games remain both inclusive and sustainable—will be one of the IOC’s key challenges going forward.