2007 ANNUAL REPORT AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS Annual Report 2007 Office Bearers 2007 Presidents Report Executive This is now my third Robin Bryant (Aus) ~ President year as President and Nigel Skelt (NZ) ~ Vice President it is interesting to Lynne Scutt (New Zealand) reflect back on the Warren Yee (Fiji) organisation as it was Fabien Kaddour (New Caledonia) at the beginning of Alan McKenzie (New Zealand) this Olympic Quadrennium and now. An Leao Akeripa (Samoa) organisation that had to be resurrected, in effect a new one, as the old one needed to Office Staff be laid to rest. New beginnings and new spirit. The sport has come from relative Secretary General obscurity in ONOC to be seen as a Corinne Barnard developing one, with a future. New members, more of our members running Development Officer international events, Samoa’s first medal at Lynne Scutt (left Feb 07) the SPG, an Olympic Scholarship, and strong prospects for our players and our Bookkeeper technical officials to move into the Donna Millington international scene as they get experience in the sport, resurrection of the Oceania circuit and Oceania encouragement awards for Delegates players. I reflect sadly on the passing of the Hon H R Badminton World Federation Roy Ward early in Robin Bryant 2007. Roy was a founding member of our Confederation and a person of immense commitment and vision. He played a large role in the development of the sport in Australia Life Members and in Oceania and was a hugely respected Heather Robson person in the international badminton scene. Roy Ward (d. 19/12/2006) The year has been a very active one both with a focus on the South Pacific Games and also the sports involvement in the Committees 2007 Beijing Olympics. Badminton Oceania put a significant effort into supporting Badminton Samoa with their planning and running of the Technical Officials Committee event. The teamwork that was developed and the opportunities that the event Peter Cocker (Chair) presented for training and building a Lynne Nixey (NZ) badminton spirit in the region made it all Yogen Bhatnagar (Aus) worth while. Congratulations to Leao, Rob Denton (NZ) Fafaatai and Pauli Risali for the teamwork Viva Stanford (Samoa) [resign Oct] they engendered and the success of the event. Events Committee Equally as badminton has year long Ian Williamson (Chair) qualifying process for the Olympics the Corinne Barnard planning to give the island members every www.oceaniabadminton.org Page : 2 Annual Report 2007 extensive. Particularly targeted were increase our profile in the world of players from Samoa and Fiji. international badminton. During the course of the event, BWF officials identified several Key priorities have been officials with a capacity to move onto international umpiring and work is underway • Building the networks in the region to promote that. with non members and particularly to support the SPG. Whilst there is a significant amount of work • Providing Equipment based on to do to bring the French Territories under grants from BWF the umbrella of the BWF directly, instead of • Securing our financial base with through France, New Caledonia particularly BWF plays a strong role in the sport, both with • Developing our events structure their participation in events and their conduct • Ensuring that Samoa gets the of events. Their New Caledonia support it needs for the SPG International, an event that gains players • Creating the environment within Olympic ranking points, attracted a very BWF that allows the French large international group of players. Thanks Territories to become BWF to Fabien for all the work he has put into this Members/Associate Members area of the sports development. • Ensuring the Office as a viable and visible operation. One Olympic Scholarship has been awarded to Heseti Maufaufau (pictured) from Samoa. Badminton at the South Pacific Games Heseti has set her sights on a Beijing berth became an officially recognised sport with and has been training and competing in the Badminton World Federation for the first events in a large range of countries. This is time and now completes the full suite of a huge and competitive Continental Championships on the BWF endeavour and very Calendar that difficult to achieve. Heseti receive sanction shows the true fighting from the IF. spirit and we wish her all Oceania the best. Other players in Confederation the region thought about provided support the prospects but decided with the Technical against at his time. Delegate and chose and supported the Badminton Oceania referees and assisted with training of however recognises that umpires and line judges. Additionally the we have some real talent in Fiji, Samoa and Confederation sponsored event software other members that if nurtured could make a that was used, to support the excellent work real impact in London 2012. done by Sporting Pulse. This gave us on opportunity to demonstrate the software to Our concession with respect to the number all our members and promote its use. of international events allowed to be held in Another aid to the more professional running the region was continually being scrutinised of our international events. and the International Federation has now put us on the same basis as other The SPG gave us huge spin Confederations, unlimited events but a offs. Not only the software maximum of two per Member. Oceania now but the exposure of all has more opportunities with the growth of officials to a very well run the Samoa and Fijian events, the New international event where Caledonia International should also become the eyes of the world were a solid part of our calendar. Our next step is directed at the results and of to improve the status of all events if we are course the way it was run. to be conscious of world ranking points. Samoa has now demonstrated, in the lead Our calendar continues to grow with major up to the event with their events. Ian Williamson has put a lot of effort own Internationals and the running of the into this and is to be congratulated. It has SPG that they are positioned well to reached the point where Oceania can now www.oceaniabadminton.org Page : 3 Annual Report 2007 expect a number of countries to seek members”. That continuing presence and sanction to run international events. Corinne’s commitment to the job has helped Accordingly BWF, have lifted the lid on the build our profile considerably. Her regular number of events that we were allowed to attendance at BWF meetings has been run, whilst Australia and New Zealand were important in raising our profile and the only ones running events. This is to be supporting myself as Vice President of the welcomed and will help the region grow. BWF. This coming year we should see some funds come to the sport specifically to “road Peter Cocker on the umpiring side has also show” the sport around the islands. This provided considerable support to the proposed project has captured the attention organisation. His role as Technical Officials of the BWF officials and the concept is likely convenor has been to be picked up by our colleagues in Africa. largely directed at co- ordinating the The employment of a Development Officer international program. for the Region is a matter for discussion by Richard Bramley the Executive and should occur shortly in the (pictured left) came on new year. Agreement was also reached with board as a new umpire Samoa and Fiji to employ on a part time and has now rapidly basis two development officers to work in moved to the top core those NOC’s. of certificated umpires. Kelly Hoare from The number of NOC’s becoming members Australia became an accredited umpire of BWF is increasing with Tuvalu joining during the World Junior Championships in during the year and Kiribati signalling strong Auckland. We are also seeing more and intention to apply for membership early in more line judges attending BWF events 2008. overseas. New Zealand very successfully ran the Robin Bryant World Junior Championships at the President Waitakere Trust Stadium. Once again showing the world that down Secretary General under these things can be done. A major event on the Overview BWF calendar, NZ’s Julie Carrel (pictured) as event This year has been about consolidating the manager drove a team that changes that the organisation had gone ran an event on time and through since 2005, building new networks without incident. and establishing a professional office. The year saw the moving on of two of the Brand and Image regions sporting CEO’s, Peter Dunne from New Zealand and Stuart Borrie from The new image has Australia. Stuart has been selected to head been expanded into up the International Federation and Peter other areas and has moved back to Invercargill. Both made a programs of the major commitment to the sport during their organisation. time in office and are to be congratulated for Oceania Circuit, their work and the friendship they showed, umpires, referees and all in the spirit of the sport. the regional training centre. This year will The Office in Melbourne has been see the Oceania functioning very effectively. Whilst Corinne Circuit logo on A Barnard is notionally Secretary General two Boards at the various days a week, she has always been available venues in New for people and that is starting to show Zealand, Australia, Fiji, Samoa and New through in the communications that have Caledonia. been rebuilt with many of our “inactive www.oceaniabadminton.org Page : 4 Annual Report 2007 Staff Activity We need to work very closely with ONOC and BWF to secure continued funding to We farewelled our development officer, develop the sport in the confederations Lynne Scutt, who had done a tremendous region and ideally move to the goal of having amount of work during her tenure with us each member represented at the Olympics.