Representatives of the Russian Olympic Committee visited Frankfurt am Main, where they held working meetings with the authorities of the Association For International Sport for All (TAFISA).
During the visit to Germany, the ROC delegation headed by Director General Vladimir Sengleev visited the TAFISA’s head office, where they met with the Secretary General of the organization Wolfgang Baumann, head of the office Ingrid Martel, public relations Manager Gaeten García and Manager of programs and events Jean-Francois Laurent.
Representatives of the TAFISA organized a video conference, during which Russian colleagues were welcomed by the President of the TAFISA Professor Jo-Ho Chang.
Currently, the TAFISA unites more than 300 members from 160 countries, including more than 70 national Olympic committees. The Russian Olympic Committee became a member of the TAFISA in December 2017. The administration of the TAFISA noted that the ROC is one of the few NOCs that pays attention to the development of mass sports and the Sport for All movement.
The following issues were discussed at the meeting:
- participation of the Russian team in the 1st TAFISA European Sport for All Games 2018, to be held from 3 to 7 August 2018 in Leeuwarden (Netherlands);
- possibility of holding the TAFISA World Sport for All Games in 2024 in Russia;
- spread Russia’s experience on the involvement of different groups of the people in sports (on the example of the all-Russian sports complex Ready for Labor and Defense, abbreviated as GTO);
- participation in the Active City program;
- participation in the Certified Leadership Course program.
1) the TAFISA representatives informed the Russian side that the 1st TAFISA European Sport for All Games 2018, will be held from 3 to 7 August 2018 in Leeuwarden (Netherlands). They will be attended by teams from more than 20 European countries, representing about 50 traditional sports. The Games will be held in the format of the festival.
At the meeting, it was agreed that the Russian Olympic Committee, together with the Russian Union of Martial Arts, which is a member of the TASISA, as well as the ROC, will send its own team to participate in the Games. It is planned that it will include no more than 10 athletes (mass-wrestling, archery, etc.), as well as the ROC and the Russian Union of Martial Arts officials.
2) TAFISA World Sport for All Games have been held every four years since 1992. The first Games were held in Germany. In 2016 Jakarta (Indonesia) hosted them. More than 12,000 participants from more than 60 countries took part in them at that time.
Traditionally, the Games are held under the patronage of the IOC, UNESCO and the International Council of Sport Science and Physical Education (ICSSPE). In 2020, the TAFISA World Games will be held in Lisbon.
Competitions are held within one week and include various exhibition and sports tournaments, cultural events and conferences. Among the participants of the Games are organizations -members of the TAFISA, sports and cultural groups, as well as people interested in the Sport for All and physical activities.
The meeting discussed the possibility of holding the TAFISA World Games in 2024 in Russia. The representatives of the TAFISA informed the Russian delegation about the format of the Games, the approximate number of participants, the requirements for the venues, accommodation and infrastructure, as well as the procedure for applying for the Games.
The Russian side informed the leaders of the TAFISA that the decision about applying for the 2024 Games can be taken only after the Olympic meeting, to be held at the end of May this year, and exclusively in accordance with the Russian legislative procedure. The ROC expressed the wish to hold a working meeting with the Olympic organizers of the Games in Lisbon in order to learn their experience.
3) the meeting also discussed TAFISA’s proposal to adjust and implement the all-Russian GTO program in the TAFISA countries, in order to involve various groups of the people in physical culture and sports. The ROC expressed its readiness to create a working group to develop the GTO methodological materials (video, infographics) and to hold a seminar for foreign experts on the implementation of the GTO Complex at the end of this year together with TAFISA.
4) the Active City program is implemented by the TAFISA with the support of the IOC. The program helps the cities improve the lives of their citizens by promoting physical activity and sports. Participating cities are provided with a set of standards, tools and services tested in pilot cities.
One of the most successful pilot city, in which the Active City standards were implemented was Liverpool, which joined the program in 2005. The TAFISA suggested that the ROC would get acquainted with the experience of Liverpool and identify two or three pilot Russian cities to participate in the program.
5) certified TAFISA leadership courses have been developed to train and improve qualification of the Sport for All leaders around the world. Since its implementation in 2007 and with the support of the IOC, the courses have been successfully organized by TAFIS and NOC members worldwide, leading to the creation of an international network that brings together more than 1,000 graduates.
Course objective:
- promotion of “sport for all” and physical activity;
- providing a platform for discussion, exchange of experience, etc;
- demonstration of research and development in the field of global “sport for all” and physical activity;
- development and training of leaders and managers in the field of ” Sport for all».
Course participants receive a certificate signed by the host country and TAFISA.
TAFISA expressed interest in organizing such courses in Russia.
ROC, for its part, informed TAFISA about the Olympic educational program implemented on the basis of the Russian international Olympic University, and also suggested TAFISA to send two of its employees to the RIOU.
Vladimir Sengleev, General Director of the ROC:
– TAFISA World Sport for All Games is an event for non-professionals in the kinds of sports that will never get into the Olympic program , but at the same time are very popular IN some territories. The major goal of the games is to show the cultural variety through sport. In fact, it is not even a competition as it is, it is more of a sports festival, which gives the opportunity to different nations to show their national identity.
The ROC is doing similar work within the Olympic Country program. The ROC is one of the few NOCs (there are 20 of them), which pays much attention to mass sports development and the Sport for All movement. Actually, this is one of the main reasons, for which we joined the TAFISA last year, along with the Russian union of marital arts.
Many recognize Russia only through the prism of high-performance sport. However, we have many programs, aimed at the development of the Sport for All. For instance, that same GTO Complex. It is a very important project, aimed at involving people in physical culture, that has already proven its effectiveness. In the framework of cooperation with the TAFISA we are ready to share this experience with the countries, where the problem of lack of physical activity stands as urgent. However, the number of such states, according to the statistics, increases each year.
