Eight Federations Feature at Friendship Games -- Federation Focus

(ATR) The 2018 Friendship Games, a collaboration between eight international sport federations and the National Olympic Committee of Burundi, will be held in Bujumbura, Burundi from August 17 to 19.

The event, a key pillar of Peace and Sport’s ongoing efforts to use sport as a tool for dialogue around the world, brings together more than 200 young athletes from Burundi, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

For the ninth edition, Rugby Africa’s Regional Development Officer and Get Into Rugby Coordinator, Johnbosco Muamba, will deliver practical rugby coaching courses to participants and youth leaders alongside Peace and Sport facilitators who will integrate the values of rugby and sport into workshops designed to support and foster dialogue between communities and promote peace-building.

"Rugby is renowned for its character-building values – discipline, respect, integrity, passion and solidarity – and such an event in the Great Lakes region, where the local communities are determined to overcome conflict, provides the perfect platform to engage with children and young leaders to promote and demonstrate how sport can be an effective tool for peace," World Rugby Chairman, Bill Beaumont, said in a statement.

Also at the Friendship Games, the Benin-born French basketball player, Olympic silver medalist and Champion for Peace, Isabelle Yacoubou, will team up with karate world runner-up Fodé Ndao to share the Olympic values of cooperation, self-initiative, dialogue and team spirit with the young participants.

World Rugby and the World Karate Federation (WKF) are joined by Fédération Internationale de Teqball (FITEQ), International Basketball Foundation (IBF), International Judo Federation (IJF), International Table Soccer Federation (ITSF), World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) and World Dodgeball Association (WDA).as participating federations.

ITF Unveils Gender Equality Strategy

The International Tennis Federation presented its Gender Equality Strategy on the opening day of the 2018 ITF Conference and AGM in Orlando, Florida on Tuesday.

The Advantage All campaign is based around the five key themes of empowerment, balance, culture, value and voice. The goal, according to the ITF, is to improve gender equality in all areas of the game and ensure tennis is a leading light for sport both on and off the field.

Among the initiatives is the "Empowering Female Leaders" program, which is being funded by a grant from the Foundation for Global Sports Development. The program will consist of workshops, education courses and professional development for women in leadership, officiating and coaching.

"We have the opportunity to become the inspirational role model for all Olympic Sports in regard to equal opportunity," chair of the ITF’s Women in Sport Committee Katrina Adams said in a statement.

"Our vision is that tennis is an equal advantage sport. Tennis is better for everyone when we all get an equal opportunity to play, compete and lead in the game we all love."

On Thursday at the AGM, member nations will vote on proposed changes to the format of Davis Cup as part of the list of ITF reforms.

FIS Secretary General Turns Teacher

International Ski Federation (FIS) Secretary General Sarah Lewis is sharing her expertise with Beijing Sports University (BSU) students.

The three-week BSU Winter Sports Seminar in the French city of Chateauroux has a particular focus on increasing know-how in order to develop a highly qualified workforce to serve the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games.

This week Lewis gave the 50 participants insights into the FIS, the six FIS disciplines and 55 events on the program of the Beijing 2022, and the collaboration between the FIS and the Beijing Organizing Committee (BOCOG).

Lewis also covered "Get into Snow Sports", the program designed to contribute to the Chinese Government’s objective of activating 300 million new winter sport participants as a result of the Beijing 2022 Games.

After two weeks of lectures at the Chateauroux University the groups will go to Chamonix, France to visit winter sports facilities and meet experts on site.

Other lecturers in Chateauroux included Kate Caithness, President World Curling Federation, and Dr. Helmut Digel, former President of the German Athletics Association and Vice-President of the IAAF.

Written by Gerard Farek

For general comments or questions,click here.

25 Years at #1: Your best source of news about the Olympics is AroundTheRings.com, for subscribers only.