BEC ANNUAL REPORT 2019 2020 Annual Delegates’ Meeting 1 BEC ANNUAL REPORT 2019 2020 Annual Delegates’ Meeting 2 BEC ANNUAL REPORT 2019 2020 Annual Delegates’ Meeting 3 BEC ANNUAL REPORT 2019 2020 Annual Delegates’ Meeting 4 BEC ANNUAL REPORT 2019 2020 Annual Delegates’ Meeting 5 BEC ANNUAL REPORT 2019 2020 Annual Delegates’ Meeting 6 BEC ANNUAL REPORT 2019 2020 Annual Delegates’ Meeting 7 BEC ANNUAL REPORT 2019 2020 Annual Delegates’ Meeting 8 BEC ANNUAL REPORT 2019 2020 Annual Delegates’ Meeting COMMISSIONS 2019 Athletes’ coMMission Kai Schäfer (GER, Chair) Selena Piek (NED) Ernesto Velazquez (ESP) Richard Perot (FRA) circuits coMMission Martin Kranitz (GER, Chair) Sven Serré (BEL, Vice-Chair) Renna Unt (EST) Espen Larsen (NOR) Ratko Galjer (CRO) Radomir Jovovic (SRB) Tina Riedl (AUT) COMMERCIAL coMMission Robbert de Kock (SUI, Chair) Emma Mason (SCO, Vice-Chair) Richard Vaughan (WAL) Andrej Pohar (SLO) Adrian Christy (ENG) David McGill (IRL) Simone van den Bergh (NED) coMMunicAtion & MediA coMMission Andrej Pohar (SLO, Chair) Richard Vaughan (WAL, Vice-Chair) Robbert de Kock (SUI) Sven Serré (BEL) Cecilia Lunell (SWE) Simone van den Bergh (NED) GENDER EQUITY coMMission Klavs Andreassen (DEN, Chair) Jean-Marc Serfaty (FRA, Vice-Chair) Ella Diehl (RUS) Cecilia Lunell (SWE) Radu Stefanescu (ROU) hiGh PerforMAnce coMMission Richard Vaughan (WAL, Chair) Andrey Antropov (RUS, Vice-Chair) Martin Kranitz (GER) Ratko Galjer (CRO) Keith Russell (SCO) Ella Diehl (RUS) Giovanni Esposito (ITA) 9 BEC ANNUAL REPORT 2019 2020 Annual Delegates’ Meeting major events coMMission para badminton coMMission Renna Unt (EST, Chair) João Matos (POR, Chair) Sven Serré (BEL, Vice-Chair) Klavs Andreassen (DEN, Vice-Chair) Robbert de Kock (SUI) Martin Kranitz (GER) Adrian Christy (ENG) Andrey Antropov (RUS) Carmen Martínez Villanueva (ESP) Carmen Martínez Villanueva (ESP) Keith Russell (SCO) Matevz Srekl (SLO) Matevz Srekl (SLO) Richard Perot (FRA) member support coMMission sport for all coMMission Emma Mason (SCO, Chair) Jean-Marc Serfaty (FRA, Chair) Andrej Pohar (SLO, Vice-Chair) Andrey Antropov (RUS, Vice-Chair) João Matos (POR) João Matos (POR) Renna Unt (EST) Emma Mason (SCO) Klavs Andreassen (DEN) Tina Riedl (AUT) Jean-Marc Serfaty (FRA) Radu Stefanescu (ROU) Espen Larsen (NOR) Giovanni Esposito (ITA) Radomir Jovovic (SRB) David McGill (IRL) 10 BEC ANNUAL REPORT 2019 2020 Annual Delegates’ Meeting PRESIDENT’S REVIEW (Order paper item 3.1) 1111 BEC ANNUAL REPORT 2019 2020 Annual Delegates’ Meeting Dear badminton family, Welcome to our Annual Delegates’ Meeting in the capital of Romania, Bucharest. This is my first President’s review since my election in April 2019 and it is a great honour for me to lead this organisa- tion. After almost one year of occupying the President´s chair I hope I was able to satisfy your expectations. Thanks again for your confidence in me. We are an organisation with a long history. Formed in 1967 as EBU the organisation has existed through turbu- lent times both in the European continent but also in the I also look back with excitement on the Board and Com- global badminton context. We have done well to get to mission meetings as well as the European Club Champi- where we are today, and I would like to start by paying onships in Luxembourg at the beginning of July. It is very tribute to those who have given their time and efforts for pleasing to see Member Associations taking on the task the betterment of our sport and our Confederation over of organising both meeting activities and Championships the years. for the first time and I was truly impressed with the quality. A special tribute to my mentor, the late Tom Bacher who I would like to congratulate Swiss Badminton and the taught me many lessons in terms of working in the Board local organisers in Basel for organising an outstanding of Directors of BEC. He taught me to be precise and well World Championships in August. It is fantastic when we prepared. He taught me to check and double check. He are able to bring the best of the best to Europe to compete taught me that we must work hard but that we must also for major titles. This requires ambition, commitment and a find time to enjoy. To attract talents to the organisation, solid business plan to ensure appropriate funding. I com- we have to ensure that it must also be fun to work with us. mend Swiss Badminton on a job well done. Tom Bacher was a great motivation and an inspiration. He meant a lot to me and to the organisation. The last Board meeting of the year was held in Leuven and was co-organised by the Belgian Badminton Federation I was impressed with the Congress in 2019 in Kyiv, who also celebrated their 75th anniversary in 2019. This Ukraine. The Awards Gala evening, that I could still enjoy was the starting point of the strategic work that will help without too many official duties, was magnificent. It was shape the future of tomorrow. When looking ahead to see a historical hotel and beautiful setting for the first Board how we can best develop the sport, it is important to in- meeting that I chaired. I am pleased to have taken over volve key stakeholders and I look forward to discussing a very qualified Board of Directors that bring a wealth of the strategic direction with Member Associations during experience and great enthusiasm for our sport. I am sure 2020. that we will continue to develop badminton in Europe in the years to come. Finally, I would also like to thank the staff at the BEC Office which consists of 17 employees from 11 different One of my first duties as President of BEC was to attend countries and our Board of Directors for their commitment the 2019 European Games in Minsk, Belarus. I was very and enthusiasm throughout the year. Likewise, I would like impressed with the organisation at these Games but es- to thank those serving on our different Commissions and pecially with the presentation of the badminton compe- our technical officials and the many volunteers that work tition. I am pleased that we will be part of the third edi- endless hours for our sport. A big thanks go to each and tion of these Games in 2023 in the city of Krakow and every Member Association for their support in organising the Małopolska region, Poland. In Minsk we had several different activities, projects and tournaments during 2019. meetings with EOC, and I am also very proud that we managed to secure badminton’s participation in the Euro- Yours in Badminton, pean Youth Olympic Festival in 2021 in Banska Bystrica, Slovakia. Peter Tarcala President 12 Badminton Europe Confederation BEC ANNUAL REPORT 2019 2020 Annual Delegates’ Meeting GENERAL SECRETARY’S REPORT 2019 (Order paper item 3.2) 13 BEC ANNUAL REPORT 2019 2020 Annual Delegates’ Meeting 2019 was an exciting year for the Confederation with the Gregory always saw opportunities where we could im- highlight being the European Games in Minsk. The Fal- prove, even if he was also proud of how far BEC had con Arena was a fantastic home for badminton during come in the last decade. Gregory has been a great lead- the week-long competition and the setup at the Games er of the organisation in the past 5 years, and I have truly was amazing. It had been paramount for us to ensure that enjoyed both the working relationship and the friendship the European Games would carry world ranking points we built over time. which resulted in improved participation with most of the top players showing up in Minsk. The good news is that focus on digital the EOC soon after the European Games contacted BEC 2019 was an extremely busy year with extensive live score in order to confirm badminton’s inclusion in the 2023 and streaming coverage via our agreement with Sportra- edition which will be held in the city of Krakow and the dar. An agreement which was re-negotiated throughout Małopolska region, Poland, and that a MoU has already 2019 while also including new elements to the coopera- been signed between the two parties. tion. One of the new elements was our new OTT platform (www.badmintoneurope.tv) which was launched in Sep- I would also like to mention the 2019 European Mixed tember and will slowly become the main streaming outlet Team Championships which were played in Copenha- for BEC. gen, Denmark. The Championships were not foreseen to be played in Denmark, but unfortunately the host, with Furthermore, we are working on a new corporate website whom negotiations were far progressed, had to cancel its which shall be more directed towards badminton fans. interest due to issues within the local government. It was We are establishing a Federation Data Toolkit which can therefore decided for BEC to take on a major part of or- be used in a number of ways in terms of player registra- ganising the Championships ourselves with good support tion, calendar management and potentially a new tour- from Badminton Denmark. I was very pleased to see how nament system mainly focusing on hobby players. the office stood together in delivering on this event and how we managed to get a dedicated volunteer team to We are working on a version 2 of our “Badminton Live” support us in executing the Championships. All in all it was app which will be released soon as well as a relaunch of an excellent display of badminton with excellent specta- our badminton manager app. tor interest but also a learning experience for everybody involved. All the activities above shall be tied into our central user database which we have great ambitions for in the com- Finally, in my introduction, I would like to pay tribute to ing years.