The 2016 VISSLA ISA World Junior Surfing Championship, with its opening ceremony in the Azores Islands, Portugal, has broken participation records for the second consecutive year. 371 of the world’s best young Surfers representing 39 countries from all five continents will take part – underlining the international nature of the event and the true universality of Surfing.
With junior surfers under 18 competing, the Championship showcases the rising stars of the sport. Many of the athletes on show could become the first ever Olympian surfers when the sport makes its Olympic debut at the Tokyo 2020 Games.
Nine of the athletes set to compete at the 2016 ISA VISSLA World Junior Surfing Championships are also recipients of the ISA Scholarship Programme. This ISA initiative offers financial aid to surfers who are under 18 to further their education, pay for travel to surf contests, pay for contest fees and upgrade their surfing equipment. Athletes are considered based on their dedication to Surfing as well as their academic performance.
The ISA Individual Scholarship was established in 2007 and has awarded more than USD $228,500 in scholarships to further the education and surfing careers of 267 surfers from 40 countries.
The ISA had 32 National Governing Bodies (NGBs) in 1994 when President Fernando Aguerre was first elected and now has a membership of more than 100 NGBs active across all five continents. This global vision has underpinned the strategy for Olympic inclusion for Surfing over many years and will continue to fuel ambitions to solidify the sport’s position on the Olympic Programme beyond Tokyo 2020.
The ISA is also expecting record-breaking numbers to take part in the ISA World Stand-Up Paddle (SUP) and Paddleboard Championship which will take place in Fiji between 12-20 November this year.
ISA President, Fernando Aguerre, said:
"We are thrilled that the ISA World Junior Surfing Championship is set to break participation records for the second successive year. Welcoming this record number of young surfers and countries from all five continents is an amazing achievement and an important validation of the ISA’s strategy for global promotion of our beloved sport. This vision has underpinned our drive for Olympic inclusion for many years and will continue to fuel our ambitions going forward as we aim to solidify our position on the Olympic Sports Programme beyond Tokyo 2020."
"We are delighted to welcome nine ISA Scholarship recipients to compete in the Azores. The ISA is very proud its scholarship programme which gives young surfers around the world unique opportunities that they may not otherwise have to maximise their Surfing potential and also to help them excel academically. They are showing tremendous dedication to their sport and they are improving all of the time – hopefully we will see some of them competing on the waves at Tokyo 2020."
For more information, please contact:
Robert Fawdon, VERO Communications
Email: rfawdon@verocom.co.uk
Mobile: +44 [0]7769 216 649
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