The International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) is now the largest International Federation, with 222 National Associations.
Sao Tome & Principe and South Sudan were accepted into the ITTF family today at the ITTF Annual General Meeting (AGM) to overtake Volleyball as the largest International Federation.
At this historic moment, the ITTF President Mr Thomas Weikert stated “As the ITTF President I am very proud that ITTF has achieved the number one status in terms of membership as our goal is not just to be among the top five sports overall, but also within each area. This is then another milestone on the path to achieve this.”
The newest additions is a result of the ITTF’s Development Program’s objective to grow national associations to have table tennis played in every corner of the globe.
The ITTF Development Program, which was initiated in 1999, has now added 42 new National Associations, with new addition of 2-3 new members per year.
Now Table Tennis will be played on even more tables around the world.
Quantity is not what the ITTF is solely looking at; the Program offers support for member associations around the world support in terms of equipment, coach training, player training and more to assist them in developing and growing in a sustainable way.
With the inclusion of Sao Tome & Principe and South Sudan, the ITTF will only have 4 more countries, Eritrea, Guinea-Bissau, Cape Verde and Bahamas, remaining in the Olympic family to integrate in order to reach its final goal of having a National Association in every country possible.
The ITTF is currently in contact with the Olympic Committees of these remaining countries, aiming to achieve full inclusion of all members of the Olympic family to the table tennis family.
The ITTF AGM was held in conjunction with the Qoros 2015 World Table Tennis Championships currently being held in Suzhou, China. Click here: http://bit.ly/15WTTC for more information on the world’s biggest table tennis event.
IOC President Thomas Bach and UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon review increased collaboration after signing top-level agreement between the two organisations.
International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach and United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon met today at the IOC headquarters in Lausanne, less than two months after having signed a historic agreement in New York aimed at strengthening collaboration between the two organisations at the highest level.
During a one-hour bilateral meeting, the two leaders discussed a number of issues and the joint action being taken by the two organisations on various concrete projects.
The two leaders reviewed the situation in South Sudan, where war has forced millions of people from their homes, pushing them to the brink of famine. The IOC President informed the UN Secretary-General about a recent joint meeting he held between representatives of the Sudanese National Olympic Committee (NOC) and members of the South Sudanese sporting movement. Following the recent signing of the MoU between the IOC and the UN, the South Sudanese said they were able to contact local representatives on the ground in South Sudan to work on potential projects. In parallel, the IOC has started to work with the NOC of Sudan, International Federations and training centres in the region to identify and assist athletes with the potential to qualify for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.
The meeting also covered a possible joint initiative in the Central African Republic. The project, initiated by the local NOC and supported by the IOC, would involve more than 1,800 athletes and sports representatives promoting sport as a tool for peace. The initiative would also encourage political leaders to work towards finding peaceful solutions to conflicts. Concrete activities would include peace “caravans”, sports competitions between neighbourhoods and regions playing for “fair play and peace” trophies, as well as conferences and debates. Being very active in the country, the UN proposed that a feasibility study be conducted with regard to the implementation of the project.
The IOC President proposed IOC-UN collaboration on an initiative supporting athletes living in refugee camps. The two organisations have years of experience of working together in refugee camps in countries plagued by violence and war. Using the UN’s extensive networks in such camps, promising athletes would be identified, and, with the help of the IOC and Olympic Solidarity, would receive training and assistance.
President Bach underscored the IOC’s commitment to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The IOC recognises that the post-2015 development agenda is a historic opportunity to establish a global framework for sustainable development, and encourages UN Member States to consider sport as a cost-effective and valuable tool for achieving the SDGs.
UN Secretary-General pays official visit to IOC President in Lausanne
The leaders also discussed the upcoming visit of IOC Honorary President Jacques Rogge to Jordan to meet Syrian refugees. Rogge was recently appointed as Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Youth Refugees and Sport. In this role, he will support the UN Secretary-General in advancing peace, development and an inclusive society through sport.
Details of the trip are still to be finalised, but the visit will be the occasion to assess on the ground the benefits sport-based initiatives can bring to young refugees and local communities.
The IOC President also briefed the UN Secretary-General on the progress being made on the Olympic Agenda 2020, a strategic roadmap for the future of the Olympic Movement. Fourteen Working Groups are meeting between 16 and 24 June to work on the thousands of contributions the IOC has received. Each group is made up of key stakeholders of the Olympic Movement and outside experts, including the UN Secretary-General’s Special Adviser on Sport for Development and Peace, Wilfried Lemke.
The meeting ended with an update on the inauguration of the new IOC Sport for Hope Centre in Haiti, which is due to take place in July and be attended by both President Bach and UN Secretary-General Ban.
During a short media encounter that followed the meeting, President Bach said: “We believe that sport can be a strong driver for social change, and today’s visit by the UN Secretary-General strengthens once again our determination to use the values of sport to help build a better world. Whether it is with youth, refugees or wherever people are in need we are ready to serve. Sport can play a role, and we want to be at your side.”
Secretary-General Ban said: “The United Nations and the International Olympic Committee are committed to work together to harness the power of sport to promote development, advance human rights and build peace.”
After touring the IOC headquarters, the IOC President and UN Secretary-General visited the Olympic Museum. There the two leaders stopped for a photo in front of the original Olympic flag, which turned 100 years old today. One of the most recognisable symbols of the Olympic Games, the flag was created for the Olympic Jubilee Congress in 1914 in Paris, in celebration of the 20th anniversary of the Olympic Movement.
— Hall-of-Famer and Two-Time NBA Champion—Will Help Grow and Celebrate the Game on the Continent —
Two-time NBA Champion and Basketball Hall-of-Famer Hakeem Olajuwon was today named NBA Ambassador to Africa and will play a prominent role in the development of basketball on the continent.
Olajuwon will work closely with the NBA Africa office, which is located in Johannesburg and led by Amadou Gallo Fall, NBA Vice President for Development in Africa. The Nigerian native will represent the NBA through a range of basketball development events and NBA Cares activities across the region to help grow the game, give back to communities in need, and bring attention to diplomacy through sport.
“Basketball has given me so much in life,” said Olajuwon. “In this new role I am looking forward to impacting young Africans and utilizing the power of sport to help change lives in what is an exciting new chapter in my career.”
“We are elated that one of the greatest to ever play the game, a son of Africa, and a legend of Hakeem’s stature will officially represent the NBA in Africa,” said Amadou Gallo Fall. “He truly embodies the values of the game, and will be a great ambassador for the league and a perfect role model for Africa’s youth.”
Olajuwon recently participated in the launch of “Power Forward,” the ExxonMobil, NBA and Africare’s development program launched in Abuja, Nigeria last November. Prior to that he visited South Africa last August and attended the Nelson Mandela Sport and Culture Day celebrations at the International Convention Centre and the FNB Stadium in Johannesburg.
Born in Lagos, Nigeria, Olajuwon was selected with the number one pick in the 1984 NBA Draft, becoming the first African player selected first overall. His playing highlights include: 12-time NBA All-Star, two-time NBA Champion (1994, ‘95), NBA Most Valuable Player (’94), and two-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year (’93, ’94). He is the only player in league history to be named MVP, Finals MVP, and Defensive Player of the Year in the same season (1993-94).
The NBA has a long history in Africa with more than 30 players from the continent playing in the league since 1984. Basketball without Borders Africa has been held 11 times on the continent and the league opened its African office in Johannesburg in 2010.
Since 2003, the NBA has worked with community-based organizations to create 38 places to live, learn or play in Africa, including youth hostels, kitchens, sports complexes, health facilities, Habitat for Humanity homes, and basketball courts in Angola, Botswana, Nigeria, Senegal, Kenya, Cameroon, South Sudan, and South Africa.
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