Thomas Bach, who served as the International Olympic Committee (IOC) president from 2013 to 2025, has emphasized that the spirit of sports transcends the respect for equal rules and possesses a unique force for uniting humanity. Ahead of the 15th National Games of China, China Global Television Network (CGTN) sat down with the former IOC chief and Olympic gold medalist in Munich, Germany to learn about the power of sports as he sees it. Bach said that sport is a powerful tool that can bring people together like "a glue of society." The former IOC president added that the universal appeal of sport is tied directly to the human heart. China's 15th National Games will officially open on Sunday across the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area in south China, marking the first time for the three regions to co-host the country's premier multi-sport event. The event is expected to be another spectacular sports extravaganza in China following this year's Asian Winter Games in Harbin, the Asian Games 2023 in Hangzhou, and the Winter Olympics 2022 in Beijing. Shotlist: Munich, Germany - Recent: FILE: Lausanne, Switzerland - June 21, 2025 1. Various of headquarters of International Olympic Committee (IOC); Munich, Germany - Recent 2. Interview in progress; 3. SOUNDBITE (English) Thomas Bach, ninth president, International Olympic Committee: "The power of sport is a unifying power, and unifying in many respects. And it all comes down to the value that sport is maybe the only area of our human life, of our social life, where everybody in the world respects the same rules."; FILE: Chongli District, Zhangjiakou City, Hebei Province, north China - Jan 9, 2022 4. Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics emblem; FILE: Beijing, China - Jan 20, 2022 5. Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics mascot Bing Dwen Dwen, decorations; FILE: Chongli District, Zhangjiakou City, Hebei Province, north China - 2024 6. Aerial shot of Genting Snow Park; FILE: Paris, France - July 23, 2024 7. Flags, Eiffel Tower, Olympic rings; FILE: Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy - Feb 4, 2025 8. Various of Olympic rings, mountains; Munich, Germany - Recent 9. SOUNDBITE (English) Thomas Bach, ninth president, International Olympic Committee (partially overlaid with shot 10): "It's this respect for the same rules, but it's at the same time the emotions. Sport is very emotional. And sport is about commitment. It's about excitement. It's about passion. It's about joy. And what sport then makes even more special is that in sport, in many cases, it does not end up with respect. It's going the step further to solidarity. And this you can hardly find, if anywhere, in any other area of our society. You don't have the same rules and in a competition, neither in science nor in culture, nor in education or anywhere else."; FILE: Lausanne, Switzerland - Oct 18, 2023 [SHOT OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE] 10. Olympic ring; [SHOT OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE] 11. Various of statues outside of Olympic Museum, visitors. [Restrictions: No access Chinese mainland]