President's meeting


1997.05.08-09

1. INTRODUCTION

Participants

1.1 Opening

The IFF President Mr. Tomas Eriksson greeted the participants welcome to the first Presidents' meeting positively remarking the great number of participants already at the first Presidents' meeting.

1.2 Presentations

All participants made a short presentation of themselves.

1.3 IFF today

Mr. Eriksson presented IFF of today; problems, organization, responsibilities, international floorball development, members and coming event. When discussing how often the Presidents' Meeting should be held the opinion of the meeting was that the meeting generally should be held during the Womens' World Championships and the Congress during the Mens' World Championships.

2. COMMITTEES

The committee chairmen presented their respective committee:

Arbitration Committee (AC)

Mr. Tomas Jonsson presented the members, the competence and duties of AC and reported that a proposal of new sanction regulations is under preparation.

Rules- and Competition Committee (RACC)

Mr. Renato Orlando presented the members, the duties of RACC and the upcoming work in prepairing proposals regarding Competition Regulations, Transfer Regulations etc. for the CB to put forward to the next Congress. Another important area for RACC is terminology.

Referee Committee (RC)

Mr. Werner Schlossmacher presented the members, the tasks for RC and the way RC would like to have the communication when appointing referees for internationals.

Public Relations Committee (PR)

Mr. Peter Lindström presented the members and the duties for PR, clarifying the differences between PR and Information. Mr. Lindström also reported on the progress in finding sponsors of IFF.

Material Committee (MC), Education and Development Committee (EDC) and Information Committee (IC) are treated under separate points.

3. CHAMPIONSHIPS

3.1 Juniors and age groups

The question regarding Championships and age groups for Juniors was discussed.

When checking with each federation participating the result was:

Latvia 46 Youth and Junior Teams. Ready for U19.

Estonia No Youth or Junior Teams yet. Will start 1998. U19 is OK but not yet ready.

Austria No Youth or Junior Teams yet, but played in schools.

Finland Have Youth and Junior Teams. Thinks that year 2000 could be a starting year for Junior Men World Championships and a year later the Junior Women.

Czech Republic Will start Junior league 1997. U19 is OK and will take part when a Championship is started.

Russia 5000 Youth players (1981 and younger). Ready to take part. Would like to have a younger age group than U19.

Japan Have no age segregation yet.

Germany Have no Juniors Championship yet. School teams exists. Could be ready to take part 1999/2000.

Switzerland Are ready to take part with U19 Men. Have a selection team for Women U19.

Sweden Are ready to take part with U19 Men.

Norway 30 Junior Teams (1000 players). Will be ready for Junior Men 2000 and Junior Women 2-3 years later.

3.2 Organizers

The question regarding organizing a Championship was discussed.

When checking with each federation participating the result was:

Latvia Ready to organize earliest 2010.

Estonia Ready to organize earliest 2010.

Austria Ready to organize earliest 2001/2002.

Finland Ready to organize whenever.

3.2 Organizers - continuation

Czech Republic Will organize 1998. Suggests that Junior Men should be played the same year as the Women and Junior Women the same yera as men.

Russia Ready to organize.

Japan Ready to organize earliest 2000.

Germany Maybe ready to organize 2000. Are discussing Junior Men.

Switzerland Ready to organize European Cup 1999 and a Championship 2000, but thinks that it would be better to have Germany as organizer 2000.

Sweden Has applied for Womens' Championships 1999. Are ready for Men 2002 or 2004.

Norway Has applied for Mens' Championships 2000.

3.3 Mens' World Championships 1998 (WFC 98)

Mr. Martin Vaculik presented WFC 98 and greeted all warmly welcome to Czech Republic and the Championships 23-30.05.98.

A question regarding why the Championships will be held this late was answered by Mr. Vaculik with that they wanted to avoid other big arrangements.

4. MATERIAL

Mr. John Liljelund presented the members and the tasks for MC. He reported that the discussions regarding testing methods now is based on product certification instead of company certification. Mr. Liljelund asked for more input from the member federations and emphasized the importance of having a decision on the next congress. The independence of IFF is strongly dependent on a working testing system lead by IFF.

5. EDUCATION AND DEVELOPMENT

Mr. Per Jansson presented the members and the tasks for EDC and reported from the latest meeting 08.05 and the progress according to the "division" of nations within the EDC.

For the time being EDC is dependent on the three founders of IFF, Finland, Sweden and Switzerland, and their support in the EDC area.

Mr. Risto Kauppinen took the opportunity to report on the plans of the Finnish Floorball Federation regarding Russia and the Baltic Nations.

6. COOPERATION AND INFORMATION BETWEEN NATIONS

Mr. Pekka Mukkala presented the members and duties of IC and reported that the committee mostly will inform via the IFF home page IFF net - which is moving to the address http://www.floorball.org. Mr. Mukkala asked for input regarding when to play Internationals, results etc.

When checking with each federation participating on Home page on Internet the result was that Finland, Austria, Czech Republic, Japan, Germany, Switzerland and Sweden have a Home page and that Norway will start one in August.

In the future IC plans for an IFF magazine but for the time being it is considered to expensive.

7. WORK ON NATIONAL OLYMPIC COMMITTEES' AND THE IOC

Mr. Tomas Eriksson spoke about the necessity of each member federation influencing possible contacts in their National Olympic Committe (NOC) and the IOC.

When checking with each federation participating on contacts the result was:

Latvia Good contacts with NOC.

Estonia No contacts yet. Needs to grow internally first.

Austria No contacts yet. Aims to become members of the Sports Confederation first.

Finland Good contacts with IOC members. Good possibilities to influence.

Czech Republic Good contacts with NOC.

Russia Have contacts but no support. NOC is interested but not willing to contribute.

Japan Have taken contact, but needs to grow internally first.

Germany No contacts yet. Aims to become members of the Sports Confederation first. (Field) Hockey Association is strong which creates some problems.

Switzerland There is only one over-head organization in Switzerland, Swiss Olympic Federation, of which SUHV are members, which means that their contact is natural.

Sweden Have been in contact with IOC representatives regarding both Olympic recognition and the possibilities for floorball if Stockholm is given the Olympics 2004.

Norway Are, via the Bandyfederation, members of NOC. Will work on their IOC members.

7. WORK ON NOC AND THE IOC - continuation

When discussing the possibilities for IFF to reach Olympic recognition the participants unanimously agreed upon that the aim for IFF is to reach Olympic recognition and that if Stockholm is given the Olympics 2004 the aim for IFF is to demonstrate floorball there.

8. CLOSING OF THE MEETING

Mr. Tomas Eriksson thanked the participants for a good work during the meeting wishing all good luck with the upcoming work and awarded each and everyone with the memory medal of the Womens' World Championships 1997.

Thereafter the meeting was declared closed.


PRESIDENTS' MEETING 08-09.05.97
Participants (*= Double functions)

Member federations

Austria Mr. Werner Daves 08.05 President
Mr. Thomas Weinrich 09.05 V.President

Czech Republic Mr. Martin Vaculik President*

Estonia Mr. Ain Lillepalu President*

Finland Mr. Risto Kauppinen President*

Germany Mr. Stefan Rouwen President

Japan Mr. Sadao Saito President
Ms. Atuko Nakayama Chairman
Mr. Watanabe Interpreter

Latvia Mr. Janis Kivkulis Secretary general
Ms. Esperanza Higuera Int.contacts

Norway Ms. Tone Damsleth Chairman Floorball Section
Mr. Kjell Hovland Olsen President NBF

Russia Mr. Mikhail Ragoulin V.President
Mr. Serguei Penin Interpreter

Sweden Mr. Per Jansson Secretary of the Board*

Switzerland Mr. Max Sterchi President
Mr. Renato Orlando Secretary general*

IFF Central Board and Committee chairmen etc.

CB Mr. Tomas Eriksson President

CB & IC Chairman Mr. Pekka Mukkala 09.05 Vice President

CB & PR Chairman Mr. Peter Lindström Secretary of the Board

CB & MC Chairman Mr. John Liljelund 08.05 Treasurer

CB & EDC Chairman Mr. Per Jansson Member of the Board*

CB & AC Chairman Mr. Tomas Jonsson Member of the Board

CB Mr. Ain Lillepalu Member of the Board*

CB Mr. Risto Kauppinen Member of the Board*

CB Mr. Martin Vaculik Member of the Board*

RACC Mr. Renato Orlando Chairman*

RC Mr. Werner Schlossmacher 08.05 Chairman

IFF Office Mr. Stefan Kratz Secretary general