For this reason we will continue to fight for what we believe, is the place that is rightfully ours. The coming months will see us then engaged in an intense promotion of our disciplines and therefore I ask the contribution of all of you: the strength of the Roller Sports world is in the passion that comes with us every day.
like every year, back from SportAccord, I am writing to update you on important changes, that the world of international sport is living.
During a private meeting with Mr. Jean Laurent Bourquin of the IOC Sports Department, we received compliments for the work developed by FIRS in the last year. First, they praised the web communications carried out so far, thanks to a well structured web site and an attractive layout, one of the best in the world of the Sports Federations, and have invited us to go on a, without doubt, winning way. They have also highly evaluated the activism of Roller Sports and the recognition of new disciplines and new National Federations. The IOC continually monitors the actions of the International Federations, and I am sure they cannot ignore the massive and impressive work that FIRS is achieving on several fronts to promote the values that Roller Sports are able to transmit at common and capillary levels.
In the same direction are the many meetings that have characterized our efforts in London and that have been stretched, from an institutional perspective, to keep Roller Sports in the leading international sport events. A certainly interesting meeting concerned the SportAccord World Artistic Games. The first event will take place at the end of 2012 and will involve about 800 athletes in five days of sports and entertainment, with the participation of seven sports: Figure Roller Skating, Artistic Cycling, Indoor Musical Aeronautics, Dancing, Gymnastics, Synchronised Swimming and Diving. During SportAccord, we also met the organizers of the World Games Cali 2013 and the Pan American Games Toronto 2015 to define the lines of Roller Sports participation in these two world-class sporting events.
Finally we have started a series of contacts for the promotion and the spread of Roller Sports, that will surely reach results in an intense work season. We met representatives of cities and countries interested in hosting high-level events of Roller Sports, able to attract a large and varied audience. We have also made contact with distribution agencies, that have shown a great interest in the possibility of transmitting images of roller sports by their partner.
During the elective assembly of SportAccord Mr. Verbruggen was confirmed as President; we have formulated our compliments for the work done so far and we have assured our support for his future work.
during the last World Figure Skating Championships, that were held in Portimao, both the Executive Board meeting and the FIRS Ordinary Congress took place. These moments are very important because the world of Roller Sports has the opportunity to meet and to discuss the issues, we all face daily.
The Congress of 2010 was the first, after the IOC decision not to include the Roller Sports in the Olympic program, and I thought it right to remind all delegates that our Olympic dream has not faded, but has only found an obstacle along its path. We did a lot in recent years and much is still to be done, taking into account the valuable suggestions that the IOC has given to us.
For example, it is important to enhance our international events as possible, both the World Championships and Continental Championships, ensuring a high quality standard.
Moreover, again following the suggestions of the IOC, we reaffirmed the need to highlight the brand FIRS, to increase its strength, making it more and more capable to attract sponsors and media. For the first time in this Congress, sitting in the front row, the main manufacturer of roller equipment were present as listeners. With them we have opened a dialogue based on a result-oriented cooperation, and they are ready to start an adventure with us for a successful promotion of roller sports. During the Executive Board, we agreed on a protocol for the approval of sports facilities at international level, that will allow us to provide a common technical standard for our events.
An important need emerged both during the EB and during the Congress is the importance of renewals in the Statute, that is by now outdated: for this reason, we are working on the drafting of a new version that will allow us to keep abreast of times.
Roller Sports are living a moment of great growth proved by the affiliation of new National Federations. I take this opportunity to welcome the National Federations of Congo, Gabon, Latvia, Moldova, San Marino, Uganda and United Emirates of Arabia and to announce that we have approved two new disciplines: Inline Alpine and Roller Derby. Two young and fresh disciplines, that will bring new ideas and new challenges for us all. It is important to work together so that this moment gives the best results.
A final statement: in the next few days you will probably experience some downtime on the website. We have worked hard in recent months to reorganize it both in structure and in the layout and it will be online soon with the new version.
