Executive president sets the scene for the next 4 years
1 October 2007 - In giving his bi annual report to the Members Congress, the IDBF Executive President, Mike Haslam, summarised the happenings of the past two years and put forward, the IDBF Council’s development plans for next 4 years plus a statement of intent on behalf of the IDBF Members. Both were accepted and ratified by the Congress.
In his report the EP informed the Congress that it was a pleasure to deliver such a historic report to the IDBF Members during the occasion of the 8th World Dragon Boat Racing Championships. Historic because after 8 years of knocking on the door and two rejected applications, the Federation was finally admitted into Membership of the General Association of International Sports Federations (GAISF) on 27 April 2007, in Beijing, China, by the General Assembly of the GAISF Members.
The GAISF Members had thus, in voting for IDBF Membership, confirmed that Dragon Boating is a distinct paddle sport, independent from all other sports and that the IDBF is the International Federation that governs Dragon Boat Sport on a world wide basis. This decision means that both Dragon Boating and the Federation have now taken their place as a fully recognised sport in the world family of International Sports Federations and opens the door for the IDBF to seek formal acceptance by the International Olympic Committee, as an Olympic Federation.
To achieve this status requires the IDBF to have at least 75 Members and achieving this figure must be the first objective of everyone in Dragon Boat Sport and is a mandate to the IDBF Council, as was shown in the 2007 Dragon Boat Participants Survey, in which 89% of those surveyed stated that they would like the IDBF to become an IOC recognised Federation. (The full results of the survey can be found in the May 2007 issue of Dragon Boat International)
On the competition front a very successful Club Crew World Championships was held in Toronto, Canada, in 2006 to which over 2000 competitors in 130 crews competed and over 24 million dollars (Canadian) was generated for the local economy. In addition, at Continental level both the Asian and European Dragon Boat Federations have held Championships during 2006 and 2007 and the Affiliates Scheme for Dragon Boat Event Organisers and Festivals, now has 25 IDBF Affiliated Festivals, on four Continents.
The IDBF Boat and Paddle Manufacturers Schemes too go from strength to strength, with 11 Boat Builders and 15 Paddle Makers, around the world, manufacturing equipment to IDBF Specifications, thus providing a competitive dragon boat product market for our Members.
During the period since the last Congress in Berlin, in August 2005, IDBF Membership has risen from 50 to 62, with two of the latest Members, Chile and Iran, being present at the Congress for their Membership to be ratified. A warm welcome was given to them both and every success wished to the Chilean Team competing in their first World Championships, in Penrith.
The EP reported that Chinese Dragon Boat Association, led by the IDBF President Mr Zhang Faqiang and Acting Secretary General, Mr HU, had been instrumental in ensuring that the Federation gained enough votes at the GAISF General Assembly for Membership. This was achieved through heavy lobbying of the GAISF Members by all the Chinese Sports Federations and the Chinese Olympic Committee; the production of promotional material and posters; Dragon Boat trophies and other souvenirs and general hosting and administration in Beijing, during the run up to the General Assembly.
In addition to supporting the IDBF Application in Beijing, the cost of which was in excess of 60,000 US Dollars, the CDBA has also continued to support the IDBF by hosting the IDBF Secretariat in Beijing.
Therefore in recognition of this and their commitment to helping the Federation to gain GAISF Membership, a special vote of thanks was propose, on behalf of the IDBF Council, to our Chinese colleagues for such valuable and sustained support to our Federation. The Congress endorsed the Vote of Thanks.
Last but not least as the IDBF Members look to the future development and expansion of the sport, we must remain strong in our desire to maintain and foster the independence of our sport whilst welcoming all those who wish to take part in that development, into the IDBF world family of Dragon Boaters. To this end the IDBF Council have discussed and produced a policy for the development and governance of Dragon Boat Sport over the next 5 years.
This policy which seeks to strengthen the position and influence of the IDBF Members and the sport at both National and International level, is put before the Congress for ratification and then promotion to the wider world of sport, as a ‘Statement of Intent’ from Dragon Boat Sport.
General Policy.
The policy of the Council will be to strengthen the position of the IDBF Members and the sport through robust development policies and an effective membership scheme. The IDBF Council will make its priority objective one of increasing IDBF Membership to 75 Members by the end of 2010 and through the provision of boats, equipment and expertise, nurture and support the development of the sport at National and Territorial level.
These objectives to be achieved through a revised Membership Scheme and improved Membership Services - website, magazine etc, funded through revenue from World Championship Regattas; by Development boats provided by the IDBF Boat Manufacturers; through increasing the number of Festivals registered with the IDBF under the IDBF Affiliates Scheme; through developing the World Corporate and Community Championship to the full and through actively seeking sponsorship and engaging in other revenue generating opportunities.
The IDBF Members advise the international sports community that the IDBF is the only International Federation mandated by the majority of those who practice Dragon Boating, to represent their interests and that such interests are paramount to the policies of the IDBF Council. In this respect the IDBF Council seeks ways of collaborating with other International Paddle Sports Federation on matters of international development and joint membership schemes at national and territorial level.
Statement of Intent.
In accordance with the GAISF Statutes, GAISF Membership confirms that Dragon Boating is an independent paddle sport of which the IDBF is the accepted world governing body. The IDBF will therefore seek formal recognition from the IOC of Dragon Boat Racing as a paddle sport and the IDBF as the International Federation governing Dragon Boating.
Whilst the IDBF Members will at all times accept and respect the principles of the Olympic Charter and state that their preferred option is to address any issues the IDBF has with other GAISF Members through the offices of the GAISF, the IDBF Members also reconfirm their ‘intellectual property rights’ over the use of the titles World, Continental, Regional, National or Territorial Dragon Boat Championships and state that the IDBF Council is to take any action necessary to protect such rights and in addition any IDBF contractual relationships and all other rights appertaining to the IDBF Members.
With respect to the International Canoe Federation (ICF) the IDBF Council are prepared to engage in formal discussions with the ICF Board concerning the past actions of the ICF regarding Dragon Boat Sport, with a view to identifying and resolving the resulting issues.
The IDBF Council is also willing to work with the ICF Board on matters of common interest, provided that the ICF accepts the authority of the IDBF as the world governing body for Dragon Boat Sport and that ICF Members and Federations do not oppose IDBF Members at Continental, Regional, National or Territorial level.