The past year has been a very busy one with major championships taking place and lots of behind the scenes activities.The latter are not always apparent to the athletes but are of huge importance to the development of our sport and indeed its standing in the eyes of other major sporting bodies such as the I.O.C. etc.
It was, indeed, the I.O.C. which suggested that we set up an Athletes Commission similar to that which exists in other International Federations.In May we appointed four people , two men and two women, representing Africa, United States, Asia and Europe.Terms of reference are currently being drawn up but they will operate under the Chairmanship of Mr. Patrick Van den Heuvel, TWIF Vice President, and their overall brief will be to channel relevant matters of concern to the TWI Exco.Contact has already been established between them and further formal meetings are planned.
The matter of anti-doping administration has became a major issue in recent years.Thankfully we do not have a problem with doping abuse but we need to make sure that things remain that way.In any case we have an obligation to become compliant with World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) regulations which are quite strict.That has meant a significant work load but failure to do so could endanger our position as an I.O.C. Recognised Sport and that would be nothing less than a disaster.
In recent times the TWIF Exco has been working on the production of two brochures, one directed at adults generally and the other at schools. The promotion of our sport at all levels and particularly schools is an important part of our four year Policy Plan.Work on these brochures is well advanced and the text will be presented on DVD in several computer formats, enabling countries to print in their own language and include local points of contact for information.The DVD’s will be made available at Congress, Championships and by post if necessary.All countries are requested to print and promote the brochures as widely as possible.
