Network to Further Women
in Sport Holds Inaugural Meeting at ITTF Headquarters
A `Think Tank’ to help promote the presence of women in sport
held its first meeting at the offices of the International Table
Tennis Federation in Lausanne, Switzerland on Friday 1st September
2006.
The informal meeting was as a direct result of the International
Working Group for Women and Sport which met in Kumamoto, Japan in
May 2006, where the theme was `A Commitment to Collaboration`.
Lilamani de Soysa, the ITTF Project Manager and Brigitte Zuffrey
from the International Motorcycling Federation, were both present
in Japan and as a result initiated the gathering in Lausanne.
“One of the aims of this group will be to help promote the
development of the presence of women in the world of sport”,
said Lilamani de Soysa. “This will be done through education
and through lobbying various institutions such as the International
Olympic Committee, the city of Lausanne and other international
and sport federations.”
Guest Speaker
Guest speaker at the inaugural meeting was Dr June Canavan who owns
a medical sport clinic in Australia and is currently studying for
her doctorate at the International Academy of Sport Science and
Technology in Lausanne.
“Sport is the password to the world, never be stopped from
spreading the word; this group can change the world of women in
sport”, she said “Work together, women and men to make
sport better.” The comment underlined the theme of the meeting
in Kumamoto. “Having a strong commitment to collaboration
and having female contacts in each federation is very important”,
she continued. “Moral and ethics first in everything we do,
no compromise with this.”
Moving Forward
Ways of improving the seminar, encouraging other international federations
to participate plus a debate on clothing and the cultural barriers
that women have to overcome in this respect, formed the basis of
discussions.
In addition, Lilamani de Soysa and Brigitte Zufferey explained
the items discussed at the International Working Group for Women
and Sport which met in Kumamoto, a meeting where the ITTF Project
Manager had led a very successful workshop entitled: `Sport as a
Tool for Peace and Development’.
Aim Through
The seminar in Lausanne concluded with members agreeing that a prime
aim is to attract more representatives from international federations
to join the group; every participant committed themselves to bring
a colleague from another international federation to the next meeting.
Furthermore, the idea forwarded by Brigitte Zufferey, that the
group should meet when there are major sporting events in the region
was well received, whilst Lilamani de Soysa advised that she would
present the seminar to the next meeting of International Federation
Directors at the Maison du Sport in Lausanne.
A meeting which had started with Chuck Hoey, the ITTF Museum Curator,
giving the group a guided tour of the ITTF Museum finished in social
style with Lilamani de Soysa providing a Sri Lankan curry dinner
in the gardens of the ITTF Château, a gesture appreciated
by all.
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Group members in the gardens
of the ITTF Château in Lausanne: (Left to right) Habiba
Besic (ITTF), June Canavan (Guest Speaker), Jeanne Zhang (ITTF),
Ann Gripper (UCI), Francine Viret-Bernal Bureau de l’égalite),
Magali Louis (AISTS), Lilamani de Soysa (ITTF), Etsuko Enami
(ITTF)
Photo by Brigette Zufferey (FIM)
UCI
– Union Cyclyste Internationale
Bureau de l’égalite deals with harassment of
any kind at the work place
AISTS - the International Academy of Sport Science and Technology
FIM – Federation Internationale de Motocyclisme
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Supplied by: Ian Marshall, ITTF Publications Editor
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