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ISSUE 5 - Friday, 20 April, 2018 #sportaccord www.sportaccord.com @sportaccord

International Federations cannot afford to link up with commercial partners that conflict with their ethical outlook, delegates heard during a lively SportAccord Summit debate on socially responsible marketing yesterday.

Caroline Baxter Tresise, International Consultant, Sector for Social and Human Sciences at UNESCO in Paris, warned IFs that failing to apply rigorous due diligence of potential partners and their industries can lead to dire long-term consequences.

“It is important for the smaller Federations to understand that the long-term impact can be devastating,” she said. “You need to

evaluate brand sponsorship case by case so it does not conflict with your IF’s ethical statement.

“Public policy has a huge role to play here, as well as the IOC.”

However, Edelman’s Director of Public Affairs, Craig Woodhouse, called on sports to take the lead in setting the right example.

“People want business to lead change rather than wait for the change to be led by the government,” he said. “It can never be enough to say, ‘we obey the rules’. If you want to take the consumer with you, you have to go further; you have to lead the way.”

Robbert De Kock, President and CEO, World Federation of Sporting

Goods Industry, highlighted the significant investment in sport by the gambling sector as one area where careful judgement is required.

“Socially responsible marketing has an influence on everything that we are doing,” he added. “We’ve got one big court – social media – and if we do something wrong, we are punished immediately.”

From the perspective of a public body, Henk Stokhof, Head of the Sports Department at the City of Amsterdam, said: “We focus on the social impact of events and that’s why we try to avoid and discourage sponsors with unhealthy products.”

SPORTACCORD SUMMIT ROUND-UP – P2

IFs WARNED TO PICK PARTNERS WISELY

The World Olympians Association (WOA) has launched the largest ever global study that will analyse the long-term health issues of Olympians.

The initiative, which is supported by the IOC Medical and Scientific Commission, the IOC Athletes’ Commission and the IOC Athletes’ Entourage Commission, was unveiled by WOA President Joël Bouzou at SportAccord yesterday.

The study has been designed to develop a better understanding of the long-term health of Olympians, with the aim of identifying any risk factors associated with elite-level sport.

The study is an international collaboration between Edinburgh Napier University, the Oslo Sports Trauma Research Centre, the University of Nottingham, Arthritis Research UK, Centre for Sport, Exercise and Osteoarthritis, the University of Calgary, the University of Alberta, the IOC Medical and Scientific Department, and the Institute for Sport, Exercise and Health, London.

GET

TY IM

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GAISF

INSI

DE Looking ahead to today’s General AssemblyPAGE 12

Andrew Parsons on

the success of PyeongChang

PAGE 11

YOUR GUIDE TO WHAT’S HAPPENING TODAY AT SPORTACCORD IN BANGKOK

OLYMPIANS WOA STUDY

ALSO3 MediaAccord round-up

4 HealthAccord debuts

6 FEI makes a digital leap

8 Polo targets Winter Olympics

CONTINUED ON P5

⊲⊲The sporting action and entertainment at the United Through Sport Festival – one of the big hits of SportAccord in Bangkok – wrapped up last night ahead of today’s closing conference (15:00-17:00, Conference Room One), which will follow the GAISF General Assembly and be attended by a host of dignitaries from organisations such as UNESCO, SportAccord and Generations For Peace.

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The evolving role of media platforms in sport and the need for IFs – and their partners – to explore new engagement channels was put under the microscope by a stellar panel of speakers at the SportAccord Summit yesterday.

Claire Furlong (pictured), General Manager of Strategic Communications at the International Cricket Council (ICC), insisted that “it’s no longer about the numbers, but about the engagement”.

Furlong said that the introduction of a new World Championship in 2019 would bring much-needed “context” to Test cricket, while adding that there is “undoubtedly a consumer demand for women’s matches” to be streamed on new media platforms.

Independent Advisor Giles Morgan said it is “up to the industry to find new ways of talking to the consumers” and added: “TV is the comfort blanket of sports, but they need to look beyond traditional broadcasting. Modern media metrics and real data represent an opportunity that must be seized.”

Jeff Nathenson, Managing Director, International, Whistle Sports, highlighted the predicament of sports on traditional media platforms. “Television ratings are down and we see shrinking viewership,” he said. “We

can’t fool ourselves into thinking that TV is still king. We don’t see enough experimentation. For example, I don’t hear people talking enough about esports at SportAccord and that scares me.

“Also, the opportunities with women’s sport are enormous, but television does not even come close to fulfilling the potential.”

Nikki Symmons, Digital Manager at the FIH, hockey’s global governing body, also underlined the importance of IFs reflecting on how they can make their own sports more “TV- and digital-friendly to engage fans” and concluded: “It’s about joined-up marketing.”

⊲⊲ Guy Port, Managing Director, Asia,

Nielsen Sports, kicked off the second day of the SportAccord Summit by outlining why he believes Asia represents “the most exciting and dynamic region” for the sports industry.

Driven by significant societal changes, Port said that 16 to 29-year-olds and females were spearheading

“a real change within Asia of how people think about sport as a leisure and entertainment activity”.

However, he also said that stark contrasts between the various markets presented challenges, as well as opportunities. “Where Asia is very different from other markets is that you can’t look at it as a region,” he said. “Every city is different.”

Riccardo La Cognata, Head of the President’s Office at the UIM, the global governing body of powerboating, also provided a breakdown of the “glocal” phenomenon in relation to the UIM XCAT World Championship.

“The championship is international, but we must also be able to meet the requirements and wishes of the local audience,” he said.

LaLiga’s transformational mindsetThe transformation of LaLiga’s commercial and business development operations into a worldwide network was outlined by the Spanish football organisation’s Head of Global Sponsorship and Sales, Grégory Bolle, in a revealing one-on-one interview at the SportAccord Summit.

Bolle explained how establishing the LaLiga Global Network – which has stationed dozens of the body’s representatives in strategic markets worldwide over the past year in order to explore new business and development opportunities whilst forging closer relationships with existing partners – had already reaped rewards.

“Either you become global or you stay national – that’s the choice,” Bolle said. “Three years ago, we had a global audience of 1.2 billion. Last year, we reached 2.6 billion. You can’t become a global brand if you are not willing to take risks. It’s not a

question of how much money you have; it’s about the mindset, innovation and the risks you are able to take.”

The introduction of centralised media-rights sales from the start of the 2016-17 season have also helped to drive expansion of the LaLiga brand whilst improving the financial outlook of clubs fighting to compete with the big two – FC Barcelona and Real Madrid.

“It is important not only to have a good product, but also the ability to package the product,” Bolle said.

Bolle also revealed that LaLiga will soon announce a partnership with “a massive conglomerate – a champion of marketing in the US that will help us to take over this market” and added that “very soon there will be international fantasy games for LaLiga in different languages”.

⊲⊲ Arrested in Algeria for taking a photo of a “good-

looking guy” who turned out to be a policeman, Thai TV presenter Paweena Singboorana (pictured) learned a valuable lesson.

“You need to know the laws of the country you are visiting,” she told the MediaAccord audience in the case study, ‘Thinking Locally’.

Singboorana, who is also CEO of Platinum Creation Co Ltd, came unstuck again in Bhutan, where she was unable to broadcast her interview with the Crown Prince because protocol demanded that approval be secured in advance.

Thai Journalist and Golf Commentator Kittisak Cholasueksa also offered tips for IFs on how to attract local media to their events, including a six-point strategy of producing compelling content, building

relations with journalists, sticking to deadlines, considering the needs of the modern media, using social media and localising your approach.

Motasem El Bawab, Digital Manager of the International Basketball Federation (FIBA), took the discussion from local to global during the ‘A is for APP’ question-and-answer session.

El Bawab said FIBA noticed that between 60 and 70 per cent of its online audiences were mobile, whether on the website or Facebook, and the decision was made to create a unique, live basketball app for fans worldwide.

FIBA now has a family of apps, having created four during 2017, and can produce one in as little as five weeks, giving audiences what they want and creating value for stakeholders.

He said: “It’s not about whether to get a mobile app; it’s about which one is right for your audience.”

Captivating content was identified as the key to connecting with the coveted millennial audience when the issue came under the spotlight at a MediaAccord panel discussion yesterday.

Equally important is speed when it comes to getting the message out to a section of the population that has other demands on their time.

Motasem El Bawab, Digital Manager of the International Basketball Federation (FIBA), told the ‘Millennials and the Media’ session: “The key thing with millennials is their attention span is very short and they want

to be entertained. If a website is not up in two seconds, you are losing your fans and if the content is not cool, you are losing your fans.”

Nikki Symmons, Digital Manager at the FIH, hockey’s global governing body, said: “You have to find out what fans like in addition to your sport and dig into that and add it to your content. Work with other sports about what they are doing. We don’t see them as competition; we are trying to help each other.”

Jérôme Martin, Global Head of Sport Marketing at AFP, approached the question from the journalism angle. “We had

many young people who started at PyeongChang and every four years the landscape changes,” he said. “We have to adapt the way we work and we have to change the mindset of our journalists.”

Sonja Nikcevic, Journalist, Head of Communications Department, International Sports Press Association (AIPS), added: “We need to train young people to produce the kind of content that you want people to see, but there is a vicious circle of young people not having experience and not being given the chance to develop it by covering events.”

ACCELERATE TO ATTRACT YOUTH

⊲⊲ International Federations and event organisers were urged to seize the

opportunities presented by advances in technology and use them to reach new and larger audiences.

Anthony Edgar opened a compelling MediaAccord session with ‘Media Watch: The Future of Media at Sports Events in a Digital World’ and painted a gloomy picture for traditional media. However, he also outlined the benefits for event organisers who are now less reliant on newspapers and TV turning up to provide coverage.

Edgar, the Head of Media Operations at the IOC, tracked a 10-year technology revolution

across the Olympic Games from Torino in 2006 to Rio in 2016.

He said Vancouver in 2010 was the “second-screen Olympics” for which audiences used iPads in conjunction with traditional TV. London was the “social media Olympics” as Facebook and Twitter gained influence. Sochi was the “digital Olympics”, marking the first time that more people watched on digital platforms than television.

Edgar told the IFs: “Your job is not done by putting your story on a website. You have to go direct to the audience and build that audience, not be reliant on TV and newspapers.”

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A positive relationship between a sportsperson and a coach is crucial if an athlete is to maximise his or her performance, a panel of experts told delegates at HealthAccord yesterday.

Speaking in the opening session entitled ‘The Power of Sport’, the panel agreed that coaches, as well as sports science and technology, play a vital role in fulfilling the potential of an athlete. They also called for coaches to be encouraged to participate in more educational initiatives.

“My philosophy is to coach the coaches,” said Ivo Ferriani, IOC Member and President of the International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation (IBSF). “When athletes start out, they need to be able to trust their

coach. The coach can create the right conditions for an athlete to become a role model, but the problem comes when the entourage sometimes forces the athlete to go too far.”

International Floorball Federation (IFF) Secretary General John Liljelund expanded on the point by saying that “the best coaches are usually the ones who share their ideas and listen to others”.

Reflecting on her own experience, Tegla Loroupe, World Half-Marathon and New York Marathon Champion, UN Ambassador, and Founder, Tegla Loroupe Peace Foundation, added: “I was lucky to have a

coach that listened to athletes. For example, he would not let us run if we were injured.”

NGU Consultants President Charmaine Crooks added: “Athletes are naturally risk-takers, but they have to listen to their body. There is a lack of education for athletes about how to manage their bodies beyond sport. The members of the entourage are significant and can affect the athlete’s decisions.”

Matteo Vitello, Business Relations Manager at Technogym SPA, said that “exchanging and sharing information” about the use of technology to enhance performance and avoid injuries is “very important”, but warned: “We have to make sure that limits are not surpassed.”

LET’S COACH THE COACHES

“Our aim is to use this analysis to inform evidence-based recommendations and best-practice guidelines to benefit Olympians and other elite athletes,” Bouzou said.

More than 10,000 Olympians who no longer compete at an Olympic level are being targeted to take part in the study, which will be promoted to all IFs at today’s GAISF General Assembly. The General Assembly is previewed on p12 of today’s edition of The Daily.

Bouzou is also the President and Founder of Peace and Sport, which demonstrated its ‘Sport Simple’ concept to deliver the Friendship Games last year.

Old tyres, rope and other everyday items provided a sporting chance for children in Burundi, with the materials used to build a makeshift boxing ring.

Nine International Federations supported the event, giving the children an opportunity to experience sport.

Bouzou would like to use the same approach to make sport more accessible.

Bouzou told The Daily: “Sport Simple is about practising sport anywhere. It allows the highest number of youngsters to have access to sport and to learn positive values without having expensive sport equipment or resources.

“Our challenge is to keep promoting Sport Simple to benefit a larger number of children and youngsters.”

Last year’s Friendship Games marked the 10th anniversary of the formation of Peace and Sport.

Bouzou added: “This year, more than ever, our famous Champions for Peace will be leading and participating in peace through sport activities around the world, using their positions as high-level athletes to inspire new generations.”

⊲⊲In other news at SportAccord yesterday, the International Jump Rope Union (IJRU) became the 10th IF to gain GAISF Observer Status.

The IJRU was created by a merger of former rivals, the International Rope Skipping Federation and World Jump Rope Federation, both of which had made separate applications for Observer Status.

⊲⊲In a separate development, the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) announced the launch of Base, a new commercial and marketing entity that will have offices in London, Miami and Tokyo.

⊲⊲ NGU Consultants President Charmaine

Crooks, who won a silver medal for Canada in the 4x400m relay at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics and competed at five editions of the Games for her country, underlined the challenges facing athletes on their career journey as she set the scene for yesterday’s opening HealthAccord session, ‘The Power of Sport’.

Crooks (pictured), one of Canada’s most famous sportspeople, having been the flagbearer at the Opening Ceremony of the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, is well aware of the physical and mental demands that are placed on elite athletes.

“Athletes can be role models in terms of promoting health as a core value in society,” she said. “However, medical care is not always available and its affordability is fundamental. The

root of sport is the athlete and therefore the wellbeing of an athlete is critical.”

International Floorball Federation (IFF) Secretary General John Liljelund then provided delegates with an insight into how, through a prevention programme underpinned by sports science research, his IF learned how to improve health outcomes, leading to better performances.

“The idea was to see how we could educate the coaches, so we followed our major events to understand the injuries and how they happened,” said Liljelund, who revealed that lower-limb injuries have been reduced by 66 per cent since the programme was introduced.

In a second case study presentation, Tegla Loroupe, World Half-Marathon and New York Marathon Champion, UN Ambassador, and Founder, Tegla Loroupe Peace Foundation, described her “special and emotional” work with refugees.

IFs cannot ignore their collective responsibility to promote healthy lifestyles, expert speakers told delegates at HealthAccord yesterday.

Speaking at HealthAccord’s closing session, entitled ‘The Power to Change’, the panel agreed that IFs have to embrace a leading role in the battle to get young people active – for the good of society, as well as sport.

“We have been entrusted with the welfare of sport and therefore we have a responsibility to promote physical activity,” said Sarah Lewis OBE, Secretary General of FIS, skiing’s global governing body.

Oleg Matytsin, President, International University Sports Federation (FISU), described the task as “not only a responsibility, but a mission”. He said: “We have to educate young people about fair play and how to be healthy as by the time they reach university it is too late.”

Prof. Yannis Pitsiladis, Member of the IOC Medical and Science Commission and Professor of Sport and Exercise Science at the

University of Brighton, said he believes “health legacy should be at the top of the agenda” when cities bid for the Olympic Games.

“We cannot only function with a carrot,” he added. “We also need a stick, because we are inherently lazy. We can’t just leave it up to the individuals and certainly not to their families.”

Technogym SPA Business Relations Manager Matteo Vitello highlighted the role of technology in the “fight to change attitudes”, while Catherine Carty, UNESCO Chair Project Manager, Institute of Technology Tralee, added: “UNESCO takes sport very seriously and connects it with the health agenda.”

Federations have role to play in improving lifestyles

FITNESS CHALLENGE IS ON

⊲⊲ Dr. Margo Mountjoy, Chair, ASOIF Medical and Scientific Consultative

Group, IOC Medical and Scientific Commission Games Group, FINA Bureau, outlined a six-point “action plan” to bring about “healthier athletes and healthier sport”.

In wrapping up yesterday’s HealthAccord session, ‘The Power of Sport’, Mountjoy said: “We must not only invest in anti-doping measures, but also in athletes’ health.” The six-point plan includes a high-quality and active

medical commission, effective monitoring, a commission responsible for adapting rules based on collected health data, encouraging knowledge transfer from the scientific community to the coaches and athletes, sport-specific injury prevention and collaboration between organisations.

Mountjoy said: “In collaboration with the IOC, a toolkit has been released to alert athletes against the dangers of harassment and abuse.”

FROM FRONT PAGE

OLYMPIAN STUDY

The sports movement must learn from the past as it faces a battle to reverse a widespread decline in fitness levels across society, attendees heard at yesterday’s closing HealthAccord session, ‘The Power to Change’.

Prof. Yannis Pitsiladis, Member of the IOC Medical and Science Commission and Professor of Sport and Exercise Science at the University of Brighton, said that it was imperative for humans to adapt to the modern world in a way that encourages a healthy lifestyle.

“We are all designed to sweat, but there is a mismatch between our bodies and the world we have created,” Pitsiladis said in the session’s

opening address. “We need to understand our past and find ways to adapt our bodies to the new world we are creating.”

In the first of two case study presentations, Sarah Lewis OBE, Secretary General of FIS, skiing’s global governing body, described the IF’s Bring Children to the Snow, SnowKidz and World Snow Day initiatives.

“Studies showed that if a kid hasn’t been skiing by the age of 14, it is very unlikely that he or she will ever try it,” said Lewis, who added that 3.1 million people participated in the most recent edition of World Snow Day, with nearly 6,500 events held across 53 countries.

Matteo Vitello, Business Relations Manager at

Technogym SPA, then highlighted that inactivity has an adverse impact on economies and added: “It is our challenge to get the world back on the move.”

In concluding the session, Prof. Fabio Pigozzi, President, International Federation of Sports Medicine (FIMS) and Member of the IOC Medical and Scientific Commission – Medical and Scientific Group, underlined the importance of the task ahead.

“In the next three years, 70 per cent of deaths will be related to physical inactivity,” Pigozzi said. “There is little evidence that elite sporting events lead to increased physical activity within the general population, so Olympic legacy requires better planning.”

HealthAccord: The Power of Sport

HealthAccord: The Power to Change

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The International Racquetball Federation (IRF) has made significant progress in enhancing the media and commercial outlook of the IF as it seeks to increase the global following of the sport.

Director of Media and Marketing, Tim Baghurst, told The Daily: “Our major focus for this year is to tell our story worldwide.

“We are beginning a major push toward generating sponsor and partnership revenue, which is crucial to our future. We are also making significant strides to improve our social media presence and upgrade our digital media efforts.”

Key to the sport’s growth will be the IRF’s content partnership with the Olympic Channel. The IRF is one of the International Federations to have been a partner of the platform since its launch in 2016.

On the IRF’s objectives for the future, Baghurst said: “The greatest challenge is the ability to generate revenue necessary to participate within the Olympic

Family. For example, anti-doping efforts are very important to the IRF, but are a significant budgetary expense.

“The second greatest challenge is generating new facilities in countries where racquetball has never been seen before. Although it is perhaps our greatest challenge, it is also our greatest opportunity, as racquetball is a sport that can be played by anyone, at any level, is an exciting spectator sport, and serves as a lifetime recreational activity.”

The International Powerlifting Federation (IPF) was confirmed as compliant with the World Anti-Doping Agency Code just days ago – and now it is feeling stronger than ever.

With compliance with the Code having been one of the International Federation’s priorities over the past year, IPF Consultant Emanuel Scheiber told The Daily that the organisation has experienced a significant period of growth.

The development of the IF has been illustrated by its international reach, with more than 110 Members worldwide.

“IOC recognition remains the IPF’s primary area of focus,” Scheiber said, adding that the IF hopes to achieve such status by the end of this year.

In the meantime, the IPF is collaborating with the

Special Olympic Games and strengthening its relationship with Paralympic powerlifting.

“The IPF has worked incredibly hard, and we pride ourselves in providing a safe and professional environment within our sporting administration. We operate with integrity, a strong sense of ethics, and with unfailing passion for the best interests of our sport and athletes worldwide,” Scheiber added.

Over the past 12 months, the IPF participated successfully at the World Games and also enjoyed great success with the IPF World University Cup.

The IPF’s financial outlook has also been boosted thanks to long-term partnerships sealed with Eleiko and SBD, while the IF has generated millions of views on its official YouTube channel.

DIGITAL LEAPThe FEI, equestrian sport’s global governing body, has reported a surge of interest from fans via digital platforms as it continues to witness a significant increase in competitors and athletes.

The FEI’s Corporate Communications Team told The Daily the IF has registered positive growth for more than a decade, with 113 per cent more events today than in 2007, was well as a 65-per-cent increase in athletes. However, it is via digital channels that the IF

is excelling. Page views on FEI.org quadrupled in 2017, with Facebook video views almost nine times greater than in 2015. Instagram followers went up by close to 800 per cent, while YouTube views

increased by more than 30 per cent.

“The outlook is extremely positive as we see continued growth in our events, the numbers and diversity of nations participating and the numbers of athletes competing – both human and equine – across the FEI’s seven disciplines,” the FEI said.

“In 2017, the FEI was very focused on sharing and promoting the sport via its digital channels, creating new content streams and using social media and the fan website FEI.org to

engage with audiences.” Education was also a key focus in 2017, with the launch of FEI Campus, an online education platform for millions of fans, athletes and FEI officials worldwide.

Throughout 2018, the FEI will continue to invest in the growth and expansion of the sport via FEI Solidarity, the FEI’s global sports development programme, through which 63 new projects from 33 National Federations were approved late last year.

“The outlook is extremelypositive as we seecontinued growth in ourevents... across the FEI’sseven disciplines”

RACQUETBALL SET FOR SPONSOR PUSH

IPF FEELING STRONG

⊲⊲ Asia is proving to be a hot region for the growth of

air sports, according to Frits Brink, President of the sport’s global governing body, the FAI.

Brink told The Daily that the inaugural FAI World Drone Racing Championships later this year in Shenzhen, China, as well as the introduction of paragliding at the 2018 Asian Games, will help to drive further interest, building on the first edition of the FAI World Fly-in Expo last year in Wuhan, China.

“Asia is a huge growth area for air sports, with activities such as paragliding and drone sports booming across the continent,” Brink said.

“So, we are particularly pleased to have the opportunity to meet so many executives and organisations from Asia at this wonderful event this week.

“Together with our partner Red Bull Air Race, which has a massive following in this part of the world, we represent all that is great and good about air sports – from the adrenaline-filled highs and lows of aerobatic racing, to the beauty and tranquillity of hot air ballooning.

“With its long history of promoting innovation and new technologies, the FAI is always happy to be at the forefront of new air sports such as indoor skydiving and drone racing.

“These fledgling sports attract a new generation of pilots, athletes and fans, which is a great opportunity for us to broaden the appeal of air sports in general.

“There is, for example, a project under way for our national parachuting federation in France to propose indoor skydiving for inclusion in the Paris Olympic Games in 2024.”

Thailand’s tourism industry is booming, with the number of arrivals having more than doubled so far this decade. In 2010, there were 15.9 million international visitors, but by last year, the annual number had rocketed to 35.4 million. In the first three months of this year, 10.6 million people visited the country, according to the Ministry of Tourism & Sports. Nearly a third of all visitors come from China. Thailand’s tourism sector generates about nine per cent of the country’s GDP.

DID YOU KNOW?

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⊲⊲ It is rare that an International Federation is recognised both by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the

World Health Organisation (WHO), but that is exactly the case for the International Lifesaving Federation (ILS).

As well as promoting awareness of water safety and drowning prevention, the ILS organises competitive tournaments for lifesavers from around the world to hone their skills.

The ILS is currently preparing for November’s Lifesaving World Championships in Adelaide. It will mark the second time that the Australian city has hosted the event, which is expected to be the biggest yet.

“It is anticipated that this will be the largest World Championships of any since the ILS held its first one in 1994, with 6,000 competitors expected from at least 50 nations,” ILS Event Director John Martin MBE told The Daily. “More than 300 technical officials from all over the world have been appointed to run eight separate World Championships during the second half of November. With the national teams, inter-club coaches and officials, National Federation delegates and accompanying people and supporters, it is expected that there will be up to 10,000 people in attendance overall during the two weeks of competition.”

The World Championships are held every two years, with Italy having already been awarded the 2020 event. The ILS will make a decision on the 2022 and 2024 hosts prior to Adelaide’s event.

The FEI’s increase in events and participation has been complemented by significant progress in its social media output...

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HOST CITY’S TARGET

⊲⊲ The Federation of International Polo (FIP) is

targeting a place on the Olympic Winter Games programme for the sport’s snow discipline, while plans are also afoot to expand in Asia.

Polo was a summer Olympic sport on five occasions between 1900 and 1936 and has been recognised by the International Olympic Committee since 1996.

“We have been working on the possibility of getting our sport of snow polo included into the Winter Olympics sometime in the future and we have created the Olympic Games Snow Polo Committee,” FIP President Nicholas Colquhoun-Denvers told The Daily.

“In 2017, we had the sixth edition of the FIP Snow Polo World Cup in Tianjin, China with the participation of six nations.”

Polo in its traditional form has been contested at recent editions of the Southeast Asian Games and the FIP is keen to further establish its presence in the region.

“We plan to start the first Southeast Asian Championship in 2019 to be held every two years in the region,” Colquhoun-Denvers said.

⊲⊲ The International Handball Federation (IHF) is hoping to

capitalise on the success of its World Championships and the positivity surrounding the beach handball format as it seeks to develop the sport in new markets.

The IHF has earmarked China, India and the USA as key markets for growth and the IF is hoping the addition of beach handball to the programme for the 2018 Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires will provide an ideal platform.

The IHF also told The Daily that it is enhancing its support for athletes through its Athletes’ Commission, with initiatives designed to help those who have finished playing as well as those who still compete on the court.

“We held the first course of the Former Players Project last year – a project that aims to keep former players involved in handball after their professional careers,” the IHF said.

The IHF has also taken giant strides in the field of gender equality.

“For the first time we have three women in the Council and two women are part of the Executive Committee,” the IHF added.

⊲⊲ The International Judo Federation (IJF) has launched

two youth-focused initiatives in the past 12 months as part of plans to increase engagement in the sport.

The Judo for Children and Judo in Schools programmes are designed to inspire the next generation to take up a sport that has been contested at the Olympic Games since 1972.

IJF President Marius Vizer told The Daily: “The IJF has been concentrating on a strategy of consolidation and a qualitative leap of projects that started in the past. Our priorities have consisted of an in-depth analysis of our media strategy, implementing and consolidating new technical rules and a large-scale launch of Judo for Children and Judo in Schools.

“The promotion of judo and the attraction of new Members is a priority. In this way, the Judo for the World, Judo in Schools and Judo for Children projects have been developing widely and represent an appeal to the grassroots and the new generation.”

Vizer added that the organisation’s World Judo Tour events have continued to generate high levels of interest in the wake of the Rio 2016 Olympics.

⊲⊲ The International Floorball Federation (IFF) is targeting

schools as a means to grow engagement in the sport.

Speaking to The Daily, the IFF’s Secretary General John Liljelund stressed how important it is to introduce the sport to children from a young age.

“We strongly believe that… schools and other educational institutions represent our main opportunity to continue growing as a sport,” Liljelund said. “As a part of this we will continue to develop the different game formats of floorball, like street and urban floorball.

“The coming years will be decisive in showing where we can take the sport and our aim is to have the sport included in additional regional and global multi-sport events.

“The challenges lie in two fields – namely to break the ice when it comes to the need for increased visibility and awareness of the sport and to attract sponsorship, in order to give us more resources to grow the sport and increase our membership. The other main challenge is to be able to prove that there is incremental added value that floorball can bring to multi-sport event organisers.”

FORECAST FOR THE FUTURE“The role of sports events across the globe will continously evolve as entertainment, as industry and as a force for good in all societies. Youth, urban and digital will be more important than ever.”

Patrick BaumannSecretary General, FIBA

Anton Rabe, the president of the Tug of War International Federation (TWIF), is targeting inclusion at a future edition of the Olympic Games as interest in the sport continues to grow.

Last December, the TWIF signed a content partnership with the Olympic Channel, the digital platform of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), and it is hoped the deal will provide the sport with significant exposure worldwide.

Tug of war was an Olympic sport in the early 20th Century and Rabe has set his sights on the 2024 Games in Paris for a possible return.

“We are grateful for our continued Olympic recognition status, but our ultimate objective is

to regain a place on the Olympic programme – a position we held from 1900 to 1920,” Rabe told The Daily.

“The 2024 Olympics in France would be another opportunity which we will engage in, whilst the Youth Olympic Games also provide an interesting platform for future development. We are excited about the recent agreement signed with the Olympic Channel, which we hope will provide wider exposure to our sport.”

Tug of war is increasing in popularity in Asia, and the TWIF recently staged its first major tournament on the continent when the Chinese city of Xuzhou hosted the 2017 World Indoor Championship last month. Engagement events were also held in Singapore and Delhi.

TUG OF WAR PULLING FOR OLYMPIC RETURN

⊲⊲ Grassroots and youth development are crucial to maintaining korfball’s position on the international

stage, according to Tilbert La Haye, the Chief Executive of the International Korfball Federation (IKF).

The IKF has intensified its international competition calendar by including annual events for the U21 and U19 age categories.

“With 69 countries as Members, our development focus at the moment is on sustainability and professionalisation of our current members, rather than recruiting new Members,” La Haye told The Daily. “The unique selling point of korfball, the only real mixed gender sport, attracts many. This gives the IKF a lot of opportunities for the further development of korfball.”

Host City, SportAccord’s Official Event Delivery Partner, is ready to set a new benchmark with the Host City Asia event in Beijing on May 31.

Participants include the WBSC (baseball/softball), FIVB (volleyball), World Skate (roller sports), IFSC (sport climbing), IBU (biathlon), IBSF (bobsleigh and skeleton) and UIPM (modern pentathlon), as well as a host of other sports properties, including SportAccord Principal Media Partner Yutang Sports.

“Host City Asia is setting another new benchmark, with more Olympic IFs set to attend than at any previous Host City event, alongside many more major event owners, organisers, hosts and investors,” Ben Avison, Host City’s Editorial and Conference Director, told The Daily.

“It is a great pleasure to bring Host City back to its origins in the great Olympic city of Beijing,

where Host City magazine was launched 15 years ago.”

Host City’s annual global conference and exhibition will return to Glasgow on November 20-21 under the theme, ‘The Future of Major Events’, as announced this week at SportAccord’s Speakers Corner.

“Cities and destinations worldwide repeatedly tell us that they are interested in developing more strategic approaches to hosting a whole range of events – not just sports – and this is where Host City is ideally placed to serve them,” Avison added.

“While our heritage is in mega events – Olympic Games and World Expos – the future of Host City lies in connecting all sizes of cities with a range of major events that can bring a positive impact to their economies and societies, from championships to festivals and conventions.”

A focus on gender equality and exploring opportunities surrounding events have been among the priorities of the World Minigolf Federation (WMF), according to the IF’s President, Dr Gerhard Zimmermann.

The WMF organised its first World Championships with an in-house team last year in Zaton, Croatia, and plans are well under way to take the tournament out of Europe for the first time, when China will stage the 2019 edition.

There have also been efforts to open up more opportunities for women within the WMF and the sport itself, with Zimmermann telling The Daily that there is now a better gender ratio on the Executive Committee, while the introduction of new mixed-category events is a significant move.

Zimmermann said: “The official abbreviation of our Federation (WMF) proudly symbolises our huge progress with our slogan: We Move Forward.”

The International School Sport Federation (ISF) has recently accelerated efforts to boost the participation of girls in sports, according to the IF’s President, Laurent Petrynka. The ISF, which held its inaugural School Winter Games earlier this year, is looking to expand its network to developing nations, specifically through cooperating with various African countries. ISF School Summer Games 2018 will be hosted by Morocco next month, with more than 3,000 youngsters set to participate across 16 sports, 23 disciplines and seven days. The next edition of the Games will take place in Jinjiang, China in 2020.

Petrynka told The Daily: “In the past year, the ISF has taken on a new dimension: more events, more schools, more athletes, more partners and new decisions that have allowed the ISF to become the leading global sport hub for young, school-going, athletes.”

The Daily - 20.4.1810 Friday - 20.4.18 11

performances at PyeongChang 2018 left me in absolute awe,” Parsons said.

“There is no doubt that Paralympic sport is high-performance sport. Very few people on earth can run 100m in 10.6 seconds, even less with a leg amputation, or swim 50m freestyle in under 30 seconds with no arms. Yet this is what Paralympians are now capable of.

“As a result of the improvements in performances, there is now a greater interest from the media, broadcasters, spectators and commercial partners. By showcasing these stunning performances to far greater audiences, we have helped to transform attitudes towards disability around the world, making for a more inclusive society.”

During the Games, the IPC and IOC

renewed a partnership between the two governing bodies through to 2032.

The deal builds on a series of existing agreements that were unveiled before the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, ensuring that Olympic host cities must also stage the Paralympics.

Under the new partnership, the two bodies will collaborate to increase visibility of the Paralympics and work on implementing the IOC’s Agenda 2020 initiatives.

“The IPC’s collaboration with the IOC is hugely important to the whole Paralympic Movement,” Parsons added. “The IPC and

Fresh from a record-breaking Winter Paralympic Games in PyeongChang and a new long-term collaboration deal with the International Olympic Committee, International Paralympic Committee President Andrew Parsons is bullish about the future.

The figures from the Games in South Korea were certainly impressive.

Every digital record was surpassed for the event while, in some areas, the figures beat those of the London 2012 and Sochi 2014 combined.

A total of 343,000 tickets were sold – 30,000 more than Sochi 2014, 110,000 more than Vancouver 2010 and more than double the number at Torino 2006.

From a commercial perspective, there were more partners activating ahead of the event than any previous summer or winter Games.

“This bodes well for Tokyo 2020,” Parsons told The Daily. “PyeongChang 2018 provided a great start to our Asian adventure with Tokyo 2020 and Beijing 2022 on the horizon.

“From a sport point of view, we had more athletes and countries competing than ever before. A record number of countries made the medals table and a record number won gold, underlining the growing strength of nations in Paralympic sport.

“Athletes once again raised the bar in terms of athletic performance, inspiring and exciting the record number of attending media, broadcasters and spectators.”

The figures would suggest that Paralympic sport is on an upward trajectory, with a significant uplift in terms of media coverage, spectator interest and participation in recent years. “Paralympic sport is evolving all the time and once again the athletic

“Athletes once again raisedthe bar in terms of athleticperformance, inspiring andexciting the record number ofattending media and spectators”

THE SPORTS CAPITAL THAT DELIVERS GREAT VENUES AND WORLD CLASS EVENTS

THE NEW

DUNA ARENA AQUATICS CENTERHOST OF THE 17th FINA WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS IN 2017

BRAND NEW

PUSKAS NATIONAL STADIUM UNDER CONSTRUCTION. HOST OF THE UEFA 2020 GROUP STAGE AND ROUND OF 16 GAMES

THE NEW

TRACK AND FIELD STADIUMUNDER PLANNING AND DESIGN. PROPOSED VENUE FOR 2023 IAAF WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

RECORD BREAKERS

The success of PyeongChang can spur the Paralympics to even greater heights, according to IPC President Andrew Parsons

T H E B I G I N T E R V I E W

the Paralympic Games would not be in the positions they enjoy today without the support and partnership of the IOC.

“Through this agreement through to 2032, we will work together to increase the visibility of the Paralympic brand, deepen existing co-operation – specifically on the implementation of Olympic Agenda 2020 – and enjoy greater stability.

“Both organisations share a passion that sport can change lives and that sport can change the world. Working together and even closer into a fourth decade will further the impact both of our work has on society.”

It has been a big year for the IPC and for Parsons, who was elected in September in the first round of voting to succeed long-serving Sir Philip Craven as IPC President.

“This year we are developing our next four-year strategic plan and will be bringing the IPC membership together in September to discuss our future direction and objectives,” Parsons added.

“In terms of developing sport, the IPC’s development arm, the Agitos Foundation, will continue to implement programmes around the world to get more people active in Para sport and improve standards in areas such as officiating and classification.

“Preparation work will continue with the Organising Committees of the future Paralympic Games, while the 10 sports we act as International Federation for will roll out their busy sport calendars.”At the GAISF General Assembly today (09:00-13:30), the IPC will be welcomed back as a Member, along with the International Golf Federation (IGF) and the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF)

The Daily - 20.4.1812

GAISF President Patrick Baumann believes the organisation is now well positioned to tackle a variety of challenges on behalf of its Members, with as many as four IFs set to be added to the organisation’s list of Full Members at today’s General Assembly.

Earlier this week GAISF confirmed in its agenda for the meeting that GAISF’s membership would be “complete” again with the return of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC), International Golf Federation (IGF) and International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF).

Meanwhile, Members will be asked to approve the World Armwrestling Federation (WAF) for Full Membership. The WAF is set to become the first IF to have completed the journey to Full Member status after being granted Observer Status last year.

Members will also be asked to approve applications for Associate Membership from the World Union of Olympic Sports Cities and the World Federation of Sporting Goods Industries.

Speaking about the application for Full Membership by the WAF, Baumann told The Daily: “This is important because it marks the first time a Federation has successfully

transitioned from gaining Observer Status to being in a position to apply for Full Membership. By doing so they provide the perfect example that the system put in place by the GAISF Membership Commission works effectively.”

Baumann added: “Members will also be asked to vote on a supplementary clause to our Statutes which better reflects our concern not only to set out our position on discrimination of all kinds, but our determination to actively promote equal opportunities for women in sport.”

The clause, which mirrors one of the IOC’s Statutes, states: “GAISF encourages and supports the promotion of women in sport at all levels with a view to implementing the principle of equality of men and women.”

The IOC Toolkit for IFs and NOCs will also be presented by HRH Prince Feisal Al-Hussein, Chair of the IOC Prevention of Harassment and Abuse in Sport Working Group, with several other special presentations scheduled with the aim of equipping delegates with insight and knowledge in key areas of governance.

Members will also be updated about developments in the .Sport domain initiative and the benefits of its implementation by Member Federations, while GAISF Legal Advisor Maître Carrard will provide an essential guide to the new GDPR data-protection legislation that will be activated across Europe next month.

GAISF also said earlier this week that following a comprehensive review of opportunities conducted by consultant Essar Gabriel, the GAISF Multi-Sport Games portfolio is set to be relaunched.

“After a period of transition, I am confident that GAISF is now focused, equipped and motivated to continue to make significant progress in its mission to provide a range of essential services for its Members,” Baumann added. “These will include a portfolio of Multi-Sport Games which will provide high-profile showcases.”

GAISF ‘EQUIPPED’ FOR CHALLENGES

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FRIDAY, 20 APRILMEETINGS:• GAISF General Assembly (09:00-13:30)• Closing Conference of United Through Sport & Sport Festival 2018 (15:00-17:00)SOCIAL: • Morning Activity: Yoga (06:30-07:30)• Lunch (13:30-15:00)

TODAY AT A GLANCE