23rd TAFISA World Congress in Enschede Opens a New Chapter in Global Sport for All
EU Commissioner Vassiliou Guest of Honor
Some 400 participants from 60 countries worldwide met in Enschede, The Netherlands for the 23rd TAFISA World Congress, 23 – 27 October, 2013. Under the theme “Sustainability and Sport for All”, the participants debated, discussed and shared future strategies and experiences at the Wilminktheatre and Muziekcentrum of Enschede that served as a most inspiring venue for the Congress. During the course of the four days, participants explored the concept of sustainability in its broader context, and deepened their understanding of the intricate relationship between sustainability and Sport for All and physical activity. It was investigated how to encourage sustainable participation in Sport for All and physical activity, and also how Sport for All and physical activity can impact and aid global sustainability in a broader context. For this the concept of the Triple Bottom Line, or 3Ps: People, Planet Profit was chosen that helped for a systematic discussion. The of the Congress results were in line with Dr Simon Lord, who said “For this generation sustainability is a direction not a destination and only successive generations can determine whether our actions were truly sustainable. For the present we continue to build the foundation as a legacy for the future”.
Thanks to TAFISA member organisation and Congress organiser Netherlands Institute for Sport and Physical Activity (NISB) an innovative and unique Congress format for the first time was introduced for the Congress structure which motivated interaction and was a new experience for the participants. It can be stated that the Enschede Congress also in this respect set the standard for future TAFISA events.
According to outgoing TAFISA President Kang-Too Lee in his opening speech “Enschede for one week was the world’s capital of Sport for All and Physical Activity”. With its warm and open minded atmosphere the city of Enschede and its citizens indeed provided an outstanding opportunity and platform for guests from all over the world to meet and make new friends.
Moreover, the Congress included various other side events namely the meeting of the “Global Coalition for an Active World”, the awarding ceremony for the TAFISA Jürgen Palm Award, the TAFISA General Assembly and the second SportCityNet project meeting.
TAFISA is extremely grateful to all participants, speakers, organisers and sponsors that helped to make the TAFISA World Congress an outstanding success!
Results of the 2013 – 2017 Board of Directors’ Election
TAFISA is pleased to announce that the new Board of Directors has successfully been elected during the General Assembly that was held on Thursday 25 October 2013 at the occasion of the 23rd TAFISA World Congress in Enschede, the Netherlands.
The new Board of Directors for the period 2013 – 2017 is composed as follows:
President Prof. Dr. Ju-Ho Chang (Korea)
Vice President Mr. Jianzhong Feng (China)
Vice President Ms. Catherine Forde (Trinidad and Tobago)
Vice President Mr. Peter Barendse (Netherlands)
Vice President Mr. Leonard Thadeo (Tanzania)
Treasurer Mr. Herzel Hagay (Israel)
Secretary General Mr. Wolfgang Baumann (Germany)
Board Member Dr. Mitra Rouhi Dehkordi (Iran)
Board Member Dr. Yasuo Yamaguchi (Japan)
Board Member Ms. Malgorzata Szukalska-Wrona (Poland)
Board Member Prof. Dr. Erdal Zorba (Turkey)
Board Member Mr. Dionysios Karakasis (Greece)
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Top Row (from the left to the right): Yasuo Yamaguchi, Herzel Hagay, Leonard Thadeo, Wolfgang Baumann, Ju-Ho Chang, Dionysios Karakasis, Erdal Zorba, Kang-Too Lee
Below: Malgorzata Szukalska-Wrona, Mitra Rouhi Dehkordi, Catherine Forde
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Additionally, TAFISA would like to sincerely and warmly thank the outgoing 2009 – 2013 Board members, that have highly contributed to the success and growth of TAFISA over the years:
Dr. Kang-Too Lee (Korea)
Hon. Brian Dixon (Australia)
Dr. Ewa Suska (Poland)
Mr. Wim Florijn (Netherlands)
Mr. Jorma Savola (Finland)
Mr. Rodolfo Valgoni (Argentina)
Dr. Kang-Too Lee has been elected Honorary President of TAFISA, while Dr. Ewa Suska, Mr. Wim Florijn and Mr. Jorma Savola have been elected Honorary Members.
Decisions of the TAFISA 2013 General Assembly
 The TAFISA 2013 General Assembly was held on Friday 25th October as part of the 23rd TAFISA World Congress in Enschede, the Netherlands.
In total, 35 countries, 44 national members and 8 international members from all continents were represented. The following decisions were taken:
- Approval of new members: 45 new national members from 42 countries; 15 new international members from 13 countries and 4 new supporter members were approved (further information below).
- Approval of revision of TAFISA statutes
- Adoption of “Designed to Move” (Nike) as new TAFISA global physical activity platform
- Confirmation of financial reports 2011/12/13
- Reports on 2016 TAFISA Games, Jakarta, 24th TAFISA Congress 2015, Budapest, as well as 1st TAFISA Europe Games 2018, Leuuwarden
- TAFISA member Sports for All Korea Association and Jeju Island, Korea, were elected to host the 25th TAFISA World Congress 2017.
- The TAFISA new Board of Directors was elected.
64 new members join the TAFISA family
At the occasion of the TAFISA 2013 General Assembly, 64 organisations from all continents were approved as TAFISA members. Those are the following:
National Members
| Country | Organisation |
| Anguilla | Commonwealth Games Association |
| Antigua & Barbuda | Antigua & Barbuda Olympic Association |
| Aruba | Aruba Olympic Committee |
| Australia | Australian Jujitsu Federation |
| Austria | National Martial Arts Committee Austria |
| Bahamas | Bahamas Olympic Association |
| Barbados | The Barbados Olympic Association Inc. |
| Belize | Belize Olympic and Commonwealth Games Association |
| Bermuda | Bermuda Olympic Association |
| Botswana | National Sports Council |
| British Virgin Islands | British Virgin Islands Olympic Committee |
| Burundi | Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture |
| Cameroun | Cameroun National Worker Sports Association |
| Canada | Canada National Martial Arts Association |
| Cayman Islands | Cayman Islands Olympic Committee |
| Cuba | Cuba Olympic Committee |
| Dominica | Dominica Olympic Committee |
| Dominican Republic | Dominican Republic Olympic Committee |
| Germany | Muay Thai Bund Deutschland |
| Germany | National Martial Arts Committee Germany |
| Grenada | Grenada Olympic Committee |
| Guadeloupe | Caribbean Regional Sport Organization of Guadeloupe (C.R.O.S.G.A) |
| Guyana | Guyana Olympic Association |
| Haiti | Haiti Olympic Committee |
| India | National Association of Physical Education & Sports (NAPES) |
| Italy | Centro Sportivo Educativo Nazionale |
| Jamaica | Jamaica Olympic Association Ltd. |
| Martinique | Caribbean Regional Sport Organization of Martinique (C.R.O.S.M.A) |
| Monserrat | Montserrat Commonwealth Games Association |
| Netherlands Antilles | Netherlands Antilles Olympic Committee |
| Poland | Polish Taekwon-do Association |
| Puerto Rico | Puerto Rico Olympic Committee |
| Russia | Russian Union of Martial Arts |
| South Africa | Martial Arts South Africa |
| Spain | Federación Española de Marciales Tradicionales |
| Spain | Spanish Taekwondo Federation |
| St. Kitts | St. Kitts and Nevis Olympic Association |
| St. Lucia | St. Lucia Olympic Committee |
| St. Vincent & Grenadines | The St Vincent and the Grenadines National Olympic Committee |
| Suriname | Suriname Olympic Committee |
| Turks & Caicos Islands | Turks & Caicos Islands Commonwealth Games Association |
| Ukraine | Sport for All Ukraine |
| United Kingdom | World Martial Arts Games Council |
| USA | US Martial Arts Team |
| US Virgin Islands | US Virgin Islands Olympic Committee |
International Members
| Country | Organisation |
| Austria | World Kickboxing Federation |
| Azerbaijan | World Budo Martial Arts Federation |
| Canada | World Council of Jiu-Jitsu Organizations |
| India | International Tennis Volleyball Federation (ITVF) |
| Indonesia | World Kungfu Dragon and Lion Dance Federation |
| Italy | World Jiu Jitsu Confederation |
| Italy | World Traditional Kickboxing Association |
| Korea | World Hapkido Federation |
| Lithuania | European Radio Sport Federation |
| South Africa | International Jukskei Federation |
| Spain | International Taekwon-do Federation |
| Spain | International Traditional Taekwon-do Federation |
| Switzerland | International Waterski & Wakeboard Federation |
| U.K. | World Bodybuilding and Physique Sports Federation |
| USA | International Cheer Union |
Supporter Members
| Country | Organisation |
| Indonesia | Patihindo Convex |
| Japan | Juchheim Sport Foundation |
| Kenya | Kenya Community Sports Foundation |
| U.K. | National Association of Karate and Martial Arts Schools |
TAFISA now has 270 member organizations from 153 countries from all over the globe!
The 2013 Jürgen Palm Awardees
TAFISA is proud to announce that the 2013 Jürgen Palm Awards have been presented to Ms. Androulla Vassiliou, Mr. Michael Tockweiler and the Johan Cruyff Foundation.
From the left to the Right: Ms. Androulla Vassiliou, Mr. Michael Tockweiler, Ms. Carole Thate.
The TAFISA most prestigious award rewards individuals and organisations that have made a long-term and significant contribution to the international Sport for All and Physical Activity Movement.
For this very special occasion, the Rijksmuseum Twenthe in Enschede, the Netherlands, opened its doors and welcomed the Awardees in presence of the TAFISA Board of Directors and invited 23rd TAFISA World Congress participants.
This unique event, held on Thursday 24 October 2013, was the opportunity for TAFISA to publically thank and congratulate:
 Ms Androulla Vassiliou, European Commissioner for Education, Culture, Multilingualism and Youth, for all the good work she has initiated by tackling, for the first time at the European Union level, the issue of Sport for All and Physical Activity.
 Mr Michael Tockweiler, CEO of Sport StadiaNet, for his strong and sincere commitment to supporting Sport for All and Physical Activity over the years, and the development of a new generation of sport facilities: the Cube.
 Ms. Carole Thate, Director of the Johan Cruyff Foundation, for her outstanding work in promoting sport participation, getting and keeping young people being active every day, all around the world.
 Once again, congratulations to all the Awardees!
Wonderful Opening and Closing Ceremonies
The TAFISA 23rd World Congress would not have been such a success without stimulating Opening and Closing Ceremonies.
More than 400 participants indeed attended the Opening Ceremony that was held in beautiful Wilminktheater. The inspiring keynote speeches given by Mr. Karl-Heinz Schneider (German Federal Ministry of the Interior), Mr. Richard Bailey (Liverpool John Moores University), Ms. Mandy Ayres (Access to Sport, Nike Inc.) and Mr. Micha de Winter (Utrecht University) set the tone of a truly unique Congress on the theme “Sustainability and Sport for All”.
© Roy Linthorst | 
© Roy Linthorst |
The Closing Ceremony was the opportunity for TAFISA to reward those individuals and organisations that make good work in promoting the Sport for All and Physical Activity movement. Participants could enjoy the experience of a walking dinner in a friendly atmosphere set up by the cover band.
A new Sustainability Awards scheme
The Closing Ceremony was also the opportunity for TAFISA to launch a new category of Awards. In line with the theme of the 23rd TAFISA World Congress, the new TAFISA Sustainability Awards, supported by our partner Ball Packaging, rewarded people or organisations that have developed good practice in the field of “Sustainability and Sport for All”.
The first Award, “People”, rewards sustainable good practices targeting communities in the fields of Sport for All and participation and physical activity, social inclusion and empowerment.
The second Award, “Planet”, recognises sustainable good practices in the field of Sport for All that are environment-friendly, reconcile sport with nature and contribute to the preservation of the environment.
Finally, the “Profit” Award, pays tribute to organisations and sustainable good practice in the field of Sport for All with a focus on good governance, funding, social responsibility, new technologies or social media.
This year’s awardees were:
TAFISA Friends for Life Awards
- Mr. Remco Boer, CEO of the Netherlands Institute of Sport and Physical Activity (NISB)
- Mr. Peter den Oudsten, Mayor of Enschede
TAFISA Sustainability Awards
- People: the city of Enschede, for successfully implementing the programme Gesunde Kinder in Gesunden Kommunen
- Planet: the Chinese Mountaineering Association, for its programme National Masses Mountaineering Festival
- Profit: Social Service of Commerce Sao Paulo, for its programme SESC Summer
TAFISA 3AC Pioneer Award
- City of Warsaw, Poland
- City of Macau, China
- City of Busan, Korea
- City of Iksan, Korea
TAFISA joins forces with Designed To Move
TAFISA is proud to announce that a Memorandum of Understanding has been signed with Designed To Move (DTM), at the occasion of the 23rd TAFISA World Congress in Enschede, the Netherlands.
Following an invitation to attend an expert meeting on the newly launched initiative at Nike Inc. headquarters in Beaverton, USA, TAFISA was approached to become a strategic partner of DTM. So far some 70 national and international organiations have joined DTM as partner including Special Olympics International, ICSSPE, the International Paralympic Committee, etc.
DTM is a physical activity action agenda, particularly aimed at children and focussing on the two following ‘Asks’:
- Ask 1: Create early positive experiences for children
- Ask 2: Integrate physical activity into everyday life
TAFISA carefully analysed DTM in regards to the contents, objectives, marketing, etc. and came to the conclusion that DTM perfectly fits into TAFISA’s business strategy. It will be implemented as TAFISA’s future physical activity platform.
The 1st Meeting of the Global Coalition for an Active World held in Enschede!
The 23rd TAFISA World Congress was the occasion for some 12 international organisations working in the field of Sport for All to meet for the first time around the same table. With the aim to increase participation in Sport for All and Physical Activity (SAPA), including grassroots sports, worldwide, by creating a platform of discussion and cooperation, this kick-off meeting gathered representatives from the following organisations:
- American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM)
- Confédération Sportive Internationale Travailliste et Amateur (CSIT)
- Conseil International du Sport Militaire (CISM)
- Fédération Internationale du Sport Universitaire (FISU)
- International Council of Sport Science and Physical Education (ICSSPE)
- International Federation of Adapted Physical Activity (IFAPA)
- International Federation of Popular Sports (IVV)
- International School Sport Federation (ISF)
- International Working Group on Women and Sport (IWG)
- Special Olympics Europe – Eurasia (SOEE
- The Association For International Sport for All (TAFISA)
- The International Police Sports Union (USIP)
The International Paralympic Committee (IPC), the International Committee of Sports for the Deaf (ICSD) and the European Physical Education Association (EUPEA) also expressed their interest and support for this initiative launched jointly by TAFISA and ICSSPE.
Walk the Talk: a TAFISA Pilot event held in Enschede
A beautiful weather for an exceptional event: on Saturday 26 October, Congress participants got the opportunity to meet with the local population along a stunning 7km route in the streets of Enschede. In total, more than 400 people gathered on the City Hall Square and started the cultural and scenic walk that took them through different physical activities at several checkpoints installed in the city.
© Maartje Kunen | 
© Maartje Kunen |
TAFISA would like to thank the City of Enschede for organising such a successful event, as well as Ball Packaging Europe for providing beverages to all walkers.
Congratulations to Anna Braskamp, 8 years old (School G.B.S. de Fontein, Enschede), who won the can design competition and saw her drawing printed on all cans distributed during this special afternoon.
© Maartje Kunen | 
© Maartje Kunen |
The SportCityNet Project well on its way
The 11 cities participating in the SportCityNet Project funded by the European Commission, namely Wiesbaden (Germany), Varna (Bulgaria), Slagelse (Denmark), Jurmala (Latvia), Tampere (Finland), Guimaraes (Portugal), Caceres (Spain), Liverpool (England), Lublin (Poland), Gyor (Hungary) and Enschede (Netherlands) took advantage of the 23rd TAFISA World Congress to gather for their 2nd working meeting, on the 22nd and 23rd of October.
This was the opportunity for them to share their best practice, learn from each other and start working on the final outcomes of the project, that is to say the creation of a toolkit and network of active cities.
Final Words
Wolfgang Baumann, TAFISA Secretary General
There can be no doubt; the Enschede TAFISA World Congress has opened a new chapter in the history of our organisation. The event can be marked in many ways a turning point and reflects the global recognition TAFISA is enjoying for its work over the last two decades. But this success is your success - our 265 member organisations from 153 countries. Enschede has made the quality of our joint efforts for an active world visible and set the standard for our future work. For that reason I want to once again express our sincere gratitude to all friends and colleagues that helped to reach this goal:
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© Roy Linthorst |
- The 2009 – 2013 TAFISA Board of Directors, in particular:
- outgoing members and
- outgoing President, Dr Kang Too Lee
- The 2013 – 2017 Board of Directors, in particular:
- our new President, JuHo Chang, and
- all the candidates for the elections
- Our hosts at the Netherlands Institute for Sport and Physical Activity (NISB) and the Organizing Committee, in particular:
- Mr. Remco Boer, CEO of NISB
- Wim Florijn and Peter Barendse for initiating the whole process
- Dorien Dijk and her team:
- Lotte, Jeroen, Karin, Jacqueline, Irene, Katinka and others
- The Mayor of Enschede, Peter den Oudsten
- The Municipality of Enschede, and Enschede and Twente Tourist Office, in particular:
- The venue Hosts at Wilminktheatre and Musiekcentrum, in particular:
- All speakers, presenters, moderators, facilitators and special presentations
- Our colleagues in the TAFISA office:
- Kelly Park, Jean-Francois Laurent, Bae Schilling
24th TAFISA World Congress 2015, Budapest, Hungary – Save the Date
 TAFISA is proud to announce the next TAFISA World Congress to be held in Hungarian capital Budapest, 15 -18 October, 2015. It is a great honor for the global TAFISA family to be invited to this exciting city for the next event. TAFISA thanks the host, the Hungarian Leisure Sport Association, under the chairmanship of Peter Salga to take over this responsibility.
TAFISA invites all members, friends, stakeholders to the 24th TAFISA World Congress in Budapest. See you again in Hungary 2015!
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It is my pleasure and honour to address you today as the newly elected TAFISA President. I feel extremely grateful to the TAFISA General Assembly for giving me this outstanding opportunity to serve TAFISA in this privileged function. But I am at the same time happy that I will have a strong team of board members at my side to bring TAFISA forward another big step during the next four years. 
