Bi - Monthly newsletter from WAKO President The objective with this newsletter is to document activities, projects, best practice, raise awareness, to learn and share and to motivate and create WAKO pride #onewako #onechampion If you have important information to share, please send it to our WAKO administration office Bi Monthly Newsletter from the President The President Firstly I would like to thank you all for giving me the opportunity on the 2nd February, to lead WAKO on your behalf. It is a great honour for me to chair this position and focusing on the future. This new monthly publication, will give you an insight in to the various activities and news in WAKO and will give you an opportunity to distribute this information amongst your members and to your external partners, showing a positive and credible picture of the sport of Kickboxing, building up the profile of Kickboxing worldwide. Please feel free to send information to our administration. It is my goal to continue to build WAKO into the future starting from the successes of the past. To develop and deliver better services to each region and continent in WAKO by creating and delivering, courses, seminars by investing in a multi year continental development plan for Coaching, Officials and Athletes, focusing on our members needs and requirements. Where applicable, to offer support to countries in their internal relevance and development in regard to achieving government recognition and financial support from government and or Olympic institutions. To really focus on the development of all Continents to be equally strong. To also help our already strong regions to become stronger and better. This is our goal as a board, to create transparency and accountability at all levels in the organisation. To give everybody an opportunity to be involved in the implementation and growth of our sport. To ensure the board is listening to the needs of our members, that we have been put in place to serve. To revitalise the WAKO IF committees and create a positive focus on development and progressive change, with people that have the right competencies and skills to get the job done. Our role as leaders in WAKO is to be aware of the present, while building out the future for the next generation of Kickboxers in particular our youth. We cannot escape the responsibility of tomorrow by evading it today. We must be precise in our focus and supportive equally to all members of WAKO. This as I said in my presidential speech will be my focus over the next four years and beyond, to get the sport of kickboxing in to the African games, Asian games, Pan American games, Oceania games and European games. To expand our presence in the IWGA and to be a part of the FISU Universiade. But, it should be obvious that our ultimate long term goal is to reach for the Olympic Games. Building our the international platforms for our athletes to be inspired, grow, engage, retain and develop for generations to come. I would like to remind you as leaders of our sport. If our actions inspire others to dream more, achieve more, learn more, do more and become more, we are building our sport for future generations. Roy Baker President WAKO One WAKO, One Champion WAKO, the world governing body developing the sport of kickboxing #BecauseWeCare If everyone is moving forward together, then success will take care of itself Presidents Report WAKO Presidential elections delegates 2019 IOC recognition gives us massive opportunities The President To start a new active year with IOC recognition only gives us so many possibilities. We know it will be more hard work, but the achievment inspires us to continue to improve and achieve bigger goals for our athletes all around the world. It is up to us to exploit the situation and the only way going forward is to act as ONE team embrase the WAKO family. We will in the coming months have meetings with the IOC in order to outline future activities and improvements. I am confident that we all, as a team, will reach ourfuture goals. I also encourage all our members to exploit the maximum support the federation may grant as a direct consequence of our new international recognition. One WAKO, One Champion WAKO, the world governing body developing the sport of kickboxing #BecauseWeCare IOC Athletes Forum 2019 The President Zolt Moradi, chairman of the WAKO IF Athletes commision, attended the IOC Athletes forum for the first time. It was the largest gathering of Athletes representatives in the history of the IOC and what a great Ambassador we have. IOC President Thomas Bach said: “The Athletes’ Commission has come a long way since the 1981 Olympic Congress in Baden-Baden, when I, together with my then fellow athletes, started this journey. Now, it is clearly the legitimate voice of the elected athletes from around the world”. One WAKO, One Champion WAKO, the world governing body developing the sport of kickboxing #BecauseWeCare Female resources in WAKO The President World Class referee WAKO Legal Chairman I want to start my WAKO Media Michaela Kovacova World Class Referee newsletter by Francesca Falsoni Marijana Pelevic Gina Egelhardt-Aue WAKO Administration Barbara Falsoni highlighting the importance of gender equality. Out of many things I am proud of, I want to highlight in particular some female resources that are a close part of our development. These are persons leading the way Chairman of WAKO WAKO Ukraina Women Committee WAKO Mauritius WAKO Sweden WAKO Portugal and that I hope inspire Olga Pavlenko WAKO Namibia Katarzyna Kociszewska Isabella Jeannot Emma Ankargren Ana Vital Melo others. WAKO have Anita De Klerk many strong leaders and my message is clearly; To create equal opportunities, women are a valuable asset for WAKO development and these persons are only a handful of women I want to motivate going forward. One WAKO, One Champion WAKO, the world governing body developing the sport of kickboxing #BecauseWeCare Great numbers at our events The President We experience continous growth and a massive interest at our main events; Event Country Entries Countries Athens Challenge Greece 2826 24 Irish Open Ireland 3615 41 Dutch Open Nederla 1177 21 nd's Turkish Open Turkey 2469 32 Austrian Classic Austria 2223 39 Karlovac Open Croatia 1890 31 Serbian Open ( K1) Serbia 305 14 One WAKO, One Champion WAKO, the world governing body developing the sport of kickboxing #BecauseWeCare Presidents Calendar March-May The President Date City, Country Event 16-17.March Amman, Jordan Arab Federation AGM, Coach seminar and International tournament 23-24.March Amsterdam, Yokoso Dutch Open ( World Series) Netherlands 5-7 - April Antalya, Turkey Turkish Open ( World Series) • Arabian Kickboxing Federation Board 12-14.April Innsbruck, Austrian Classics ( WAKO World Cup) Austria members 20-21- Budapest, International Sponsor meeting Hungary Arabian Kickboxing Federation Board Members 25-28.4 Quebec, Canada WAKO Canadian Nationals, – Quebec Open 5-10.5 Gold Coast, SportAccord Convention; Australia - ARISF Assembly - AIMS Assembly - IOC/ARISF Joint meeting - SportAccord Assembly - IWGA Assembly - GAISF Assembly - Separate meetings with IOC, GAISF, IWGA - FISU – WADA – OCA – AOC + 17-19.5 Budapest, Hungarian Open ( WAKO World Cup) Hungary Mr Saud Abdul Aiz - General Secretary of the Union Arab NOC If OUR actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, and Dr Sari Hamad, Vice President of Jordan Olympic do more and become more, then and ONLY then are WE Committee . Mr Basel El Shaer , President Arab Kickboxing Federation and Mr Salim Kayici, WAKO Europe Board member truly leaders in our sport. and president of WAKO Turkey. Massive activities in PanAm The President Panam With several international events scheduled for 2019, WAKO Panam is steadily growing internationally. Following the same pattern as the World Cups held in Europe, Panam launched this year the Copa América already with two editions: in February, the paradise Foz do Iguaçu, Brazil, received the Brazil Open and in May it will be instead of Buenos Aires to receive Argentina Open, an event that will have the co-organization of Turicentro Viajes, a company that was directly involved in organizing the IOC Youth Games in 2018, held in the Argentine capital. Shortly afterwards, in July, Port of Spain in Trinidad and Tobago will host the first edition of the Pan American University Kickboxing Championship. In August, Caracas, capital of Venezuela will receive the 4th Bolivarian Championship. Then, in November, it will be the turn of the 11th South American Championship in Lima, Peru and closing the year, the splendid San Juan in Puerto Rico, will organize the Central American and Caribbean Championship. Brazil Following the same steps of Panam, the Brazilian Confederation will organize dozens of capitative and competitive events this year, which shows the strength of the largest Confederation of the American Continent. With hundreds of thousands of practitioners from all over the country, Kickboxing is the fastest growing contact sport that has been gaining in popularity among the general public. The President congratulate with targeted and strategic development that will benefit the total continent. One WAKO, One Champion WAKO, the world governing body developing the sport of kickboxing #BecauseWeCare WAKO Kickboxing Included in 2019, 30th Sea Games The President All 11 members of Southeast Asian Games Federation are expected to take part in the 2019 SEA Games. Below is a list of all the participating NOCs. – Brunei – Cambodia – Indonesia – Laos – Malaysia – Myanmar – Philippines – Singapore – Thailand – East Timor – Vietnam One WAKO, One Champion WAKO, the world governing body developing the sport of kickboxing #BecauseWeCare WAKO represented in the arabic community and leading the way in gender equality The President A great achievement by President of Arab Federation of Kickboxing Sport Basel Al-Shaer.