PRESS RELEASE

SHORTLISTED NOMINATIONS FOR SPORTACCORD SPIRIT OF SPORT AWARDS 2012 ANNOUNCED

Lausanne, 19 April 2012 – The countdown is on for the annual SportAccord Spirit of Sport Awards with the Awards Commission releasing today the shortlist of nominees..

The Spirit of Sport Awards 2012 will be presented to the Laureates during the 10th annual SportAccord Convention in Quebec, Canada on 24 May 2012. The annual awards commend the commitment and humanitarian spirit of SportAccord members who have made an exceptional and lasting contribution to using sport as a tool for positive social change.

The following nominees have been shortlisted from which 3 projects and 1 individual will be selected for the Awards Ceremony in May:

Projects:

SportAccord Member Name of the Project World Chess Federation (FIDE) Chess Brings Freedom International Federation of Netball Associations The Netball Safari (IFNA) 5th CISM Military - The International Military Sports Council (CISM) Peace Games International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) ITTF Women's Development Programme Riding towards a healthier future in the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM) Gambia

International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) One Sport, One Family

Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) Bike City

International Federation (IJF) Judo for Children

International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) Nittaku Dream Building UIPM Environmentally Friendly Laser Union Internationale de Pentathlon Moderne (UIPM) Shooting System International Cricket Council (ICC) Think Wise

International Baseball Federation (IBAF) Beisbol por la Paz

International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) Ping Pong Paix

Individual:

SportAccord Member Nominee International Waterski & Wakeboard Federation (IWWF) Mr Joe Ray World Federation (WTF) Mr Hadi saei Bonekohal International Paralympic Committee (IPC) Ms Sylvana Mestre The Members of the Spirit of Sport Award Commission chaired by Mr Don Porter, President, International Softball Federation (ISF) are:

- Mr Tamás Aján, President, International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) - Mr Keith Calkins, President, International Racquetball Federation (IRF) - Ms Marisol Casado, President, International Triathlon Union (ITU) - Ms Anita L. DeFrantz, Vice-President, international Rowing Federation (FISA) - Mr Ron Froehlich, President, international World Games Association (IWGA) - Ms Sarah Lewis, Secretary General, International Ski Federation (FIS) - Mr Klaus Schormann, President, Union International de Pentathlon Moderne (UIPM)

SportAccord: - Mr Hein Verbruggen, President, SportAccord (no voting rights)

For further information, please contact:

Ingrid BEUTLER, Manager, Sports’ Social Responsibility Unit [email protected]

About SportAccord SportAccord is the umbrella organisation for 105 international sports federations and organisations. Its mission is to support and to protect the common interests of the Sports Movement. Activities include organisation of multi- sports games (SportAccord World Combat Games, , World Artistic Games, World Mind Games); doping-free sports; sports’ social/environmental responsibility and sports’ integrity; International Federations recognition processes; The Sports Hub and several other strategic initiatives, all developed and implemented on behalf, and to the benefit, of SportAccord Members http://www.sportaccord.com http://www.youtube.com/thesportshubchannel http://www.facebook.com/SportAccord http://twitter.com/sportaccord