Waage, who also serves as the chairman of the Executive Board Member of the Czech National Olympic Committee and Czech Softball Association, became part of the special moments leading up to the start of the Olympic Games, the world's largest sports event.
"To lower the Olympic torch to the Olympic flame and light it is a moment that will stay in my heart forever," expressed Waage.
At the invitation of the Greek Olympic Committee, he participated in the ceremonial lighting of the Olympic flame in Olympia. "It was beautiful, emotional. It is an extraordinary thing," he remarked.
Kostis Liarommatis, WBSC Europe Member at Large, also took part in the ceremony, carrying the Olympic Flame before Waage in Ancient Olympia.
The ritual of lighting the Olympic flame honors ancient traditions and includes artistic performances. "The program is really very symbolic and reminds us of the friendship between people, which has an exceptional justification at this time," noted Waage.
The relay with the Olympic flame will travel by sea from Greece to Marseille, France. It will then traverse part of France, travel overseas, and then move through French territory again to reach Paris for the opening of this year's games, which will be attended by 10,500 athletes from more than 200 countries around the world.
Softball and baseball will be on hiatus at the Paris Olympics, but they will return to the program at the 2028 Los Angeles Games. Softball became an official Olympic sport in Atlanta in 1996, four years after baseball. They were part of the program for the Beijing 2008 Games and returned at the Tokyo 2020 Games.
