Caribbean Association of National Olympic Committees (CANOC) President Brian Lewis discussed the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on sport in a video message recorded for Olympic Day.

Lewis, who is also Trinidad and Tobago Olympic Committee (TTOC) President, urged the Caribbean Olympic Movement to help ensure the region recovered from the pandemic.

"Sport and the Olympic Movement has been significantly impacted by COVID-19," he said.

"The Olympic Games, for the first time in history, has been rescheduled.

"On this Olympic Day 2020, which in very many ways is a very significant Olympic Day, part of the responsibility of the Caribbean Olympic Movement and CANOC is to contribute to helping our Caribbean societies, communities and countries to not just survive COVID-19, but thrive in the post COVID-19 world.

"On this Olympic Day, I send greetings to all of you in CANOC and all of you in the Caribbean Olympic Movement."

Olympic Day is marked on June 23 every year, celebrating the anniversary of the International Olympic Committee's (IOC) formation in Paris in 1894 by Pierre de Coubertin.

This year it has been celebrated virtually due to the pandemic. 

Lewis has taken part in Olympic Day celebrations himself, speaking on a TTOC webinar entitled "COVID-19: An opportunity to grow, an opportunity to innovate, an opportunity for transformation".

IOC President Thomas Bach was another to reference the pandemic in his Olympic Day message.

"With the global coronavirus crisis, all of us are living with much uncertainty about the future," Bach said.

"In these difficult times, we need the values of sport, our shared Olympic values of excellence, friendship, respect and solidarity, more than ever."