OFI BACKED SPORTS GOVERNANCE BOOK LAUNCHED

The Olympic Federation of Ireland today hosted the official launch of a book that will provide guidance for sports bodies on sports governance. Supported by the OFI, Sports Governance: A Guide for Sporting Entities, written by governance expert Anne McFarland and published by Orpen Press, will be a useful resource for sport federations nationwide.

The book focuses on three main areas, with the first part being an introduction to governance, which outlines the organisation of sport in Ireland. The second part focuses on becoming a board member and the considerations taken by both the person and the organisation before taking on the responsibility. The third section looks at the key functions of a board – strategy, risk, accountability, and monitoring.

Speaking at the launch, President of the Olympic Federation of Ireland, Sarah Keane, said,

"Whether you are an experienced board member or a new member we are all on the journey of good governance, and this book is one that addresses all areas. Anne McFarland provides an excellent road map in this book, it is easy to read and will guide you in implementing good governance to help your organisation, big or small, to thrive.

"Sport Ireland does a huge amount of work to educate and oversee governance within the sector. With this book we are keen to play our part and will be offering initial governance consultations with Anne McFarland for our OFI members to assist them on their own journey."

Author of the book and governance expert, Anne McFarland, said,

"I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Olympic Federation of Ireland for its support in publishing the book on governance. It is really refreshing to work with an organisation so committed to improving governance. In the foreward Sarah Keane talks about how Irish athletes want to be the best in the world and about how sport should be inclusive. To achieve this everyone involved in governing sport must be dedicated to making sure that sporting entities are running as effectively as possible. I truly hope that this book provides some clear guidance and direction for those involved with sports governance in Ireland."

The national federations have all been given a free copy of the book and have been offered an initial workshop with Anne McFarland to help them on their governance journey.

The book launch also served as an opportunity for Team Ireland Chef de Mission Tricia Heberle to update members of the media on the various recent developments regarding next year’s Olympic Games in Tokyo

Heberle highlighted the importance of sharing all the recent updates from the IOC,

"I recently attended an online Chef de Mission seminar; it was the first one since the postponement of Tokyo 2020. From that meeting we gathered some information about how Tokyo might look from an athlete perspective. We are encouraged by the measures that are being put in place and believe that those measures should see a safe Games taking place next year. The experience may be different from an athlete perspective, but the most important thing is that the athletes will get an opportunity to compete fairly."

Sports Governance: A Guide for Sporting Entities is published by Orpen Press, and can be purchased AT THIS LINK. The discount code ‘launch’ will be active until the 8 November.

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