Following the adoption of his ANNUAL REPORT by the 2018 General Meeting on 17 June 2018 in
Lausanne, Switzerland, WDSF President Lukas Hinder announced his resignation from office after a
transitionary period of five months. His successor will be First Vice-President Shawn Tay, who was
appointed Chief Executive Officer by the WDSF Presidium in its meeting of 18 June 2018.
The General Meeting unanimously agreed to the motion presented by the Presidium to make Lukas
Hinder Honorary Life President after the official handover of the WDSF Presidency to First VicePresident
Tay, scheduled for 17 November 2018 during the WDSF World Championship Standard in
Vienna, Austria.
Reading out a statement to the delegates and observers at the General Meeting, Hinder thanked
his colleagues on the Presidium for reaffirming their commitment to the first participation of
DanceSport in the Youth Olympic Games. He also acknowledged the continued support of the
Presidium allowing him to hold elected office on the Executive Committee of the International
World Games Association.
I decided to take this step to bring all parties closer together in how they interpret dance as
sport. During the weekend, I had cordial meetings with my Presidium colleagues who understood
and accepted my decision. This also included a very satisfactory reconciliation and agreement with
our 1st Vice-President, Shawn Tay.
Thank you to the many people in our community who expressed their appreciation for my work with
the WDSF Presidium over more than 20 years. I am thankful that I was allowed to serve WDSF as
President during an important time and I am committed to ensure a smooth transition period, which
will also include the administrative level as decided by the Presidium.
I am very pleased to advise that the Presidium has reconfirmed that WDSF’s participation in the
Buenos Aires 2018 Youth Olympic Games is supported unreservedly and that the WDSF Presidium
will approve of my future candidacy for any office in the International World Games Association. I
am fully supporting the transition process that has been established between all of us. As per the
wish of our next President, Shawn Tay, I will assist the Presidium and in particular my successor in
their relation with other organisations in international sports as best as I can and as long as I can.
The Presidium has also agreed unanimously that the existing employment contracts with the
valuable staff currently working at the WDSF office in Lausanne will be honoured. And it has
appointed the 1st Vice-President to the office of CEO of the WDSF effective Monday 18 June 2018,
with the added provision that the CEO shall report to the full Presidium, not the President or the
Managing Committee. Under this arrangement, documents under the authority of the President
shall be signed by the CEO and Lukas Hinder until the date of his resignation following the
successful 2018 Youth Olympic Games, after the WDSF Presidium Meeting on 15 – 16 November
2018 at an official handover ceremony during the 2018 WDSF World Standard Championship in
Vienna, Austria, on 17 November 2018.
At that time, the WDSF 1st Vice-President shall assume the office of WDSF President according to
Article 16(2) of the Statutes Under our Statutes the next quadrennial presidential elections are
scheduled for 2021, but Mr. Tay immediately made a commitment to stand for election at the 2019
WDSF AGM to ask WDSF´s Members to confirm his mandate to 2021.
25 Years at #1: Your best source of news about the Olympics is www.aroundtherings.com, for subscribers only