The International Canoe Federation’s new-look Board of Directors met for the first time in Antalya as they start to set the course for their four-year mandate.
Germany’s Thomas Konietzko presided over the meeting following his re-election as ICF President at yesterday’s Congress in the Turkish city.
The meeting also saw the participation of new members with Australia’s Richard Fox, Belgium’s Marian Sarbu and Hungary’s Noemi Horvath taking their seats on the Board after the elections.
Mr Fox is the new Chair of the Canoe Slalom Committee, succeeding France’s Jean-Michel Prono who has retired after 20 years in the role, while Mr Sarbu is taking on the position as Chair of the Canoe Ocean Racing Committee, replacing South Africa’s Colin Simpkins.
Ms Horvath is starting her second term leading the Stand Up Paddling discipline but first as a Board member after the Commission became a Committee after the Congress.
Each of the Chairs proposed members and advisors of their respective Committee which were approved by the Board.
Mr Fox’s Canoe Slalom Committee consists of Spain’s Meritxell Rodriquez, Czechia’s Alena Maskova, Italy’s Daniele Molmenti and South Korea’s Eunsuk (Jake) Kim.
Australia’s Sue Natoli and Germany’s Hans-Peter Weiss have been chosen as advisors.
“I feel honoured to be back on the team,” said Mr Fox.
“I was first on the Canoe Slalom Committee from 1996 to 2000 which was a significant period in our history and then on the Executive Committee as Vice President from 2008 to 2012, so it has been a while but I feel like I can contribute a lot in this next four-year cycle.
“Continuity is important when choosing the Committee as they have done really good work and you want to harness that but renewal is also important.
“It’s been 20 years under the same leadership so I need to take some time to identify the right strategy to go forward.
“It’s good to have experience hands in the team and opening up the inclusion of Jake from South Korea is exciting.
“As Asia is evolving and strengthening, it is great to have that representation.”
Click here to find out who is in the Standing Committees
Mr Sarbu’s Canoe Ocean Racing Committee features Australia’s Mackenzie Hynard, Spain’s Alejandro Aquera and France’s David Szlachta with Hong Kong’s Raymond Ho-Yin Lo as an advisor.
“Being elected as Chair is not just a personal milestone but a shared commitment to the growth and future of Canoe Ocean Racing,” said Mr Sarbu.
“As I step into this role, I reaffirm my dedication to fostering unity, expanding global visibility, and creating opportunities for athletes, federations, and organisers alike.
“The ICF Canoe Ocean Racing Committee comprises of dedicated professionals who will bring a wealth of experience and fresh perspectives to our mission.
“Our vision remains steadfast - to foster growth, support our athletes, and inspire future generations. With the collaborative efforts of this team, I am confident that we will make significant strides in developing Canoe Ocean Racing globally.”
Elections were also held at the meeting with Hong Kong’s Luk Wai-Hung re-elected as Chair of the Dragon Boat Commission and New Zealand’s Maree Burnett retained as Chair of the Finance Commission following unanimous support from the Board.
China’s Li Xin attended the meeting for the first time in his role as Treasurer after being elected on Friday.
One of the items discussed at the meeting was the ICF’s organisational review following the approval of the new Fit for Future Evolution strategy at the Congress.
Over the next two years, the ICF will aim to implement a plan with five focus areas culminating in the relaunch of the federation under the new name of Paddle Worldwide at its next Congress in 2026.
“This will be a review of all our procedures, policies, statutes, rules and principles,” said Mr Konietzko.
“We should be brave and humble at the same time and start with a collection of topics that we want to discuss.”
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