Following the final Executive Board Meeting of the 2015 season, the ITU is pleased to announce six National Federations were added to its family of Federations with the addition of Niger, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Botswana, Djibouti, and Somalia.
“It’s been a cornerstone year of growth for us in Africa,” said ITU President and IOC Member Marisol Casado. “African Triathlon Union President Ahmed Nasser has been working very hard the last several seasons to fulfill its goal of growing triathlon, and we are seeing that work come to fruition now. My recent travels to Africa have shown me first-hand the enthusiasm and promising talent for the sport in so many countries. Now our job is to support their development.”
In addition to these six National Federations, Senegal and Armenia were approved as National Federations at ITU’s annual Congress in September, which brings the total count of National Federations to 162. Algeria and Kyrgyzstan were also approved as temporary Federations earlier this year.
During the two-day Board Meeting, Oceania Triathlon Union (OTU) President Terry Sheldrake signed OTU’s 2016 Development Grant contract with ITU. Sheldrake presented a plan to use the funds offered by ITU to provide training and educational opportunities to promising young athletes, as well as assistance to emerging National Federations, the development of coaches and Technical Officials, and anti-doping testing in Oceania.
“Oceania presented an excellent plan on how they will use the development grant that ITU provides to Continental Confederations,” said Casado. “They initiated a successful camp for athletes last year with the funds, which they will continue again this year. I congratulate and thank OTU President Terry Sheldrake and his team for the work they’ve been doing. I’m looking forward to seeing the outcomes of their plan.”
In ITU’s continued effort to lead the sports landscape in strong governance, the ITU Executive Board approved members to its independent Arbitration Tribunal, which will assess disciplinary matters that may arise. Philippe Renz (SUI) was elected as the Chair, while Genevieve Pellerin (CAN) will serve as the Vice-Chair with Timo Penannen (FIN), Ize Metebese (NIG), and Kevin Sullivan (USA) all approved to serve on the panel.
It was also decided that ITU will create a “Governance and Social Responsibility” section to its website that will clearly host documents that contain information such as, but not limited to, ITU’s finances, policy information, Congress minutes and more.
“The last several months in the international sports world have reinforced more than ever how important it is to be proactive about strong governance and transparency,” Casado said. “At ITU we are committed to ensuring triathlon remains a sport that offers an environment of fair play and clear policies.”
Changes in competition rules and bid announcements were also decided upon at the Board Meeting, and will be published shortly.
