[Source: UIPM] The Union Internationale de Pentathlon Moderne (UIPM) has opened a consultation process to identify a suitable replacement for Riding in the Olympic sport of Modern Pentathlon.

The historic move comes after the UIPM Executive Board (EB) unanimously endorsed a series of recommendations made by the UIPM Innovation Commission after a two-day meeting in Monaco last week.

The Innovation Commission was set up in 2018 to continuously monitor the composition of Modern Pentathlon and review its suitability for the Olympic Games in the context of Olympic Agenda 2020 and Olympic Agenda 2020+5 – the strategic roadmap of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

The EB met virtually on October 31 and endorsed the Innovation Commission’s recommendation that Riding be replaced with another discipline that enhances the popularity and credibility of Modern Pentathlon, while preserving its status as the ultimate physical and mental sporting challenge – as envisaged by Baron Pierre de Coubertin, the founder of the Modern Olympic Games.

The EB decision has today (November 4) been communicated to UIPM’s global community of National Federations and members of the UIPM Athletes, Coaches and Technical Committees during a series of conference calls.

All changes resulting from the consultation process will be implemented in time for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Summer Games – only coming into force after Paris 2024, which will be the first Games to feature Modern Pentathlon’s new TV-friendly elimination format, which enables audiences to watch all five disciplines in 90 minutes within a Pentathlon Stadium.

The consultation process will be inclusive of specific stakeholder groups, namely athletes and coaches as well as media and marketing partners, and the selection of a new discipline will be based on the following criteria. It must:

• Follow the Coubertin narrative of the most complete athlete
• Not fall under the governance of another IOC-recognised International Federation.
• Allow for global accessibility and universality
• Be attractive and relevant for global youth and future generations
• Provide for gender equality and fairness
• Meet sustainability and legacy requirements of IOC Olympic Agenda 2020+5
• Be exciting and easily understandable for TV / digital audiences and all sports fans
• Be low-cost for both athletes and organisers (lower equipment costs and fewer officials)
• Result in minimal injury rates and be easy to learn and train based on athletes’ existing skills
• Not cause transportation and logistical complications
• Fit inside new Pentathlon Stadium and urban settings
• Be compatible with new 90-minute elimination format
• Be compatible with current handicap start and continuous event concept

UIPM President Dr Klaus Schormann said: “The recommendations put forward by the UIPM Innovation Commission are in continuity with the tradition of innovation which UIPM has in its DNA.”

“Many times in recent decades our sport has evolved to meet the changing expectations of the modern world. This evolution has created more appeal for young athletes and families, more value for spectators and TV / digital audiences, a reduced environmental impact and 100% gender equality since the Sydney 2000 Olympic Summer Games.”

“We can be rightly proud of what our global family has achieved, and now the time has come to be bold and ambitious once again in following the strong recommendations of our UIPM Innovation Commission.”

“On behalf of the UIPM Executive Board I ask our global community to embrace change and grasp the momentous opportunity before us. A new discipline will provide fresh impetus to our sport and strengthen the position of Modern Pentathlon within the Olympic movement.”

“The Modern Pentathlon will remain a five-discipline sport and will continue to provide the ultimate moral and physical examination of an athlete, as Coubertin envisaged.”

“In all of our communications with various stakeholders, we have all agreed that we need to keep our sport at the highest possible level, designed to test the physical and mental qualities of the complete athlete.”

“We now look forward to an inclusive and very positive consultation process as we consider which sporting discipline is the most suitable to take Modern Pentathlon into a new era, alongside Swimming, Fencing and Laser Run (laser shooting and running).”

UIPM 1st Vice President and IOC Member Juan Antonio Samaranch Jr added: “This is a very important moment for Modern Pentathlon – and actually for the Olympic programme.”

“We would be making a mistake if we were to take our place in the Olympic programme for granted past Paris 2024. It is not granted for us, it is not granted for anybody.”
 
“We really need to make sure that in that new environment, with all of these new sports that have demonstrated strength and a lot of traction with people and media, we have to make sure that our sport if flawless.”

The equestrian discipline of show jumping has been ever-present in Modern Pentathlon since the multi-sport was created by Coubertin, the pioneer of the Modern Olympic Games, and introduced to the world at Stockholm 1912.

Swimming, Fencing, Running and Shooting have also been retained throughout the past 11 decades, although the last two disciplines were merged to create the Laser Run combination that now provides a thrilling climax to every Modern Pentathlon and Tetrathlon.

The creation of Laser Run has been one of many changes marking the evolution of Modern Pentathlon as a safe and sustainable sport with a captivating, fast-paced format suited to 21st-century audiences.
 
The timeline for the selection process of the new discipline as well as the transition steps will be communicated in the forthcoming weeks.

Representatives of the United Nations, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the Paris 2024 Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games spoke out at COP26 in Glasgow to highlight sport's capacity for action on climate change.

The speakers are all involved in the Sports for Climate Action Framework, which was launched at COP24 Katowice in 2018 as a collaboration between the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and sports organisations from all over the world.

The aims are dual: firstly to get the sports sector to move together towards a climate neutral world, and secondly to use its enormous reach to educate, inspire and raise awareness for climate action.

“Sport has a big climate footprint,” Niclas Svenningsen, Manager for the Global Climate Action team at UNFCCC told delegates at COP26 in Glasgow.

But sport also has a huge power to influence. “Not everyone might have a favourite politician, but everyone has a favourite athlete or club,” he pointed out.

Since its launch, the Sports for Climate Action Framework has grown to encompass 300 sports organisations including IOC, FIFA, Paris 2024 and many others. As one of the first sectoral partnerships, the sports framework has also led the way for other sectors to follow suit.

“We want to promote sustainable consumption and advocate more climate action towards athletes, fans, suppliers and everyone else.”

The Sports for Climate Action Framework aligns the sports sector with the UNFCCC Paris agreement to reduce carbon emissions by 50% by 2030 and achieve net zero by at least 2050 – including emissions by suppliers. The Sports for Climate Action Framework has set its own target to surpass this goal and achieve net zero by 2040.

“Almost everyone says we have to do this,” said Svenningsen.

One of the first organisations to get involved in Sports for Climate Action with the UNFCCC was the IOC.

Julie Duffus, Sustainability Senior Manager at the IOC confirmed that the organisation is on track with these goals. And in addition to the UNFCCC targets, the IOC has added an interim goal of reducing the carbon footprint of the Games by 30% by 2024, beyond which all future Games will have to be climate positive.

When it “walks the talk” on climate change, sports can use its power to influence others to change.

“We have such an opportunity to reach so many people,” Duffus said. “We also work with the Olympic movement – international federations, National Olympic Committees and Organising Committees – to reduce their carbon footprint and to use their agency to reach people.

“The athletes are great advocates to reach so many people. If we can give them a voice, we can reach a lot more people to take action individually and within their communities.”

Engaging everyone on earth

Hannah Mills MBE, the most successful female Olympic sailor of all time, is a sustainability ambassador for IOC. Her interest in sustainability began at Rio 2016 where she saw the scale of the problem of plastic pollution.

“What I’m really passionate about is using my voice, but also encouraging other athletes to lend their voice to these massive challenges,” she said.

“Nothing brings people together as much as sport or the Olympic Games does. It’s an amazing coming together of the human race in one place.

“I’m here to say to the politicians: Tokyo delivered a Games that no one that no one thought would happen – now it’s over to you to lead and deliver for us at COP26.

“We need every single person on earth to be engaged with it and doing their bit.”

“Everyone here is really committed to giving sport the platform and the opportunity to put forward the agenda for climate change and the sustainable development goals.

“Athletes have a key role. I appreciate we have a footprint as well, through sports events. But sport has a positive impact in so many areas and if we can harness that, then we stand a really good chance of tackling this crisis in the way that we need to.”

Team spirit

As Director of Sustainability at the Paris 2024 Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, Georgina Grenon is responsible for achieving climate action.

“The Olympic and Paralympic Games is the biggest event in the world, and we are facing mankind’s biggest challenge.

“We couldn’t stage the Games like we used to. That’s why we’re fully aligned with the Paris agreement, to be the first Games to leave a positive impact on the environment.

“It is not easy. This is a race we have to win, and this is where athletes inspire us. We all have to become climate athletes, to be inspired by their resilience, to be objective and to go beyond what was done before.”

The carbon footprint of previous Summer Olympic Games has been estimated to be around 3.5m tons of CO2. The biggest component of this is travel, followed by construction, and then operations.

Using guidelines from the IOC, the Paris 2024 organisers have assessed the carbon footprint of their Games to be 1.5m tonnes of CO2. This major reduction is being achieved using 100% renewable energy, by building in a more efficient way, and by using existing buildings.

“This is how you start slashing emissions in a pragmatic way. It takes team spirit with international organisations like the IOC and all our suppliers to make this happen,” says Grenon.

“We are trying to progress in our way and want to get all of you in Paris in 2024 to celebrate this win as well.”

Positive brand affiliations

Hannah Mills highlighted another important responsibility of athletes and sports organisations – their affiliation with brands.

“As an athlete what’s not talked about enough is sponsorship in sport – who athletes choose to partner with and the messages they send.

“We have audiences, including young people who are influenced. We want to send positive messages from brands who want to do the right thing.

“Sport events have the ability showcase many solutions that wouldn’t have the platform otherwise.

“We can give sponsors the opportunity to show their best in these sport events,” Grenon added. “Most of the solutions are not there and we can’t bring them up on our own.”

“Sport has to come together with academia to find these solutions,” said Duffus. “It’s only by working together that we are going to solve this crisis.”

As well as decarbonising, Paris 2024 is also working across all 17 UN Sustainable Development goals “The social aspects are extremely important,” said Grenon. “This is how you build a sustainable legacy for the Games.”

The Olympic movement might be ahead of some sectors in decarbonisation, but there is still no time to lose.

“We have known about climate change for 100 years. We have to change now,” said Svenningsen.

“Sports is such an important part of raising awareness – it’s like the oil in the machinery. I’m positive we are going to reach a goal.”

To find out more from UNFCCC, IOC, Paris 2024 and how events can contribute to the environmental bottom line, register now for Host City 2021, taking place online from Glasgow on 7-8 December

Following calls from the governing bodies of other international sports events for a wider consultation on proposals for biennial World Cups, FIFA has announced it will reveal the outcome of its consultation process to member associations at a global summit on 20 December.  

The move follows calls from various stakeholders in sports, including the IOC, for a wider consultation on the proposal that would have major implications for other sports events.

At the FIFA Congress in May 2021, FIFA’s 166 member associations voted in favour of examining the feasibility of a men’s and women’s World Cup every two years.

A consultation process, led by FIFA’s Chief of Global Football Development, Arsène Wenger, is underway with football stakeholders’ groups including players, coaches, clubs, leagues, scientist/medical doctors, media, commercial and broadcast partners and fans.

But stakeholders in other sports have voiced concerns. In a statement on 16 October, the IOC Executive Board said:

“A number of International Federations of other sports, national football federations, clubs, players, players associations and coaches have expressed strong reservations and concerns regarding the plans to generate more revenue for FIFA.”

The statement highlighted the impact on other sports as one of the main causes for concern.

“The increased frequency and timing for the World Cup would create a clash with other major international sports,” the IOC statement said.

“This includes tennis, cycling, golf, gymnastics, swimming, athletics, Formula 1 and many others. This would undermine the diversity and development of sports other than football.”

The IOC also highlighted concerns raised by other stakeholders around gender equality and players’ welfare.

“The IOC shares these concerns and supports the calls of stakeholders of football, International Sports Federations and major event organisers for a wider consultation, including with athletes’ representatives, which has obviously not taken place.”

FIFA says it is already consulting widely on the proposal.

“We need to think about how we develop the football of the future and to ensure our sport is meaningful, exciting and robust for future generations across the entire world,” said FIFA President Gianni Infantino after a FIFA Council online meeting on 20 October 2021.

“This is not necessarily the case today, and as the international match calendars are not decided beyond 2023 and 2024 for women’s and men’s football respectively, this is a crucial moment to ensure the further development of our sport across all 211 FIFA member associations. As mandated by the recent FIFA Congress, FIFA is considering all opinions in an inclusive and thorough consultation process.

"As world football’s governing body, it is FIFA’s responsibility to stimulate such a debate, and I am encouraged by the healthy exchanges that have been made to date from all sides,” the FIFA President added.

“Everyone should have their voice heard, and precisely through the consultation process, I have discovered that many stakeholders have never had the opportunity to discuss this topic properly. This consultation process is addressing that, and we will continue with the objective of reaching a consensus with solutions that work for everyone’s benefit. By hosting a global summit later this year, we will now have the opportunity to present one plan and to provide feedback to all our FIFA member associations.”

FIFA says its 211 member associations will now discuss the proposals in the coming weeks “with the objective of reaching an agreement on the structures of club and national team competition windows within the international match calendars for women’s and men’s football.”

[Source: SportAccord] Sport diplomacy, technology, virtual events, innovation and esports will be among the key topics tackled in a packed SportAccord Summit conference programme during the SportAccord World Sport & Business Summit 2022 in Ekaterinburg, Russia.

In announcing the theme of the conference as ‘A United Approach to Building Bridges in the Ever-Expanding World of Sport’, SportAccord has confirmed a series of unmissable addresses, panel sessions and presentations at the SportAccord Summit on Wednesday, 18 May 2022.

The SportAccord Summit will sit alongside SportAccord 2022’s other conference streams across the week of the highly anticipated gathering in Ekaterinburg, which will welcome global sport’s most influential decision-makers from 15-20 May 2022.

Numerous officials from International Sport Federations (IFs) will participate in the conference, alongside leading International and Russian figures from the sports governance, technology, and commercial sectors.

Expert speakers will explore topics as diverse as ‘The Power of Sport Diplomacy’, ‘New Approaches and Harnessing the Commercial Potential of Sport’, ‘Virtual Event Success Stories’, ‘How to Stay Connected and Engaged in a Changing Global Village’ and ‘Technology’s Role in the Ever-Expanding World of Sport’.

“With such a variety of topics on the agenda, the SportAccord Summit will provide a range of vital perspectives from different areas of the global sports movement,” Dr. Raffaele Chiulli, President, SportAccord and GAISF, said.

“From sport diplomacy to esports and future commercial strategies, the SportAccord Summit in Ekaterinburg will offer an essential snapshot of the most pertinent challenges and opportunities facing International Sport Federations and the sports industry as a whole.”

The SportAccord Summit is one of several conference streams at SportAccord 2022. The established CityAccord, HealthAccord, LawAccord and MediaAccord streams will be of interest to a broad range of stakeholders in sport.

As the only global sports industry event attended by all IFs and their stakeholders, SportAccord brings together organising committees, hosting cities and regions, governments and administrations, rights-holders, agencies and athletes, as well as top-level experts and organisations from the sports media, technology, investment, medical and legal sectors.

Registration is open for the SportAccord World Sport & Business Summit 2022 in Ekaterinburg, the 19th edition of SportAccord’s flagship annual event. Organisations interested in becoming an official partner or exhibitor can contact SportAccord to discuss these investment opportunities by emailing sales@sportaccord.sport, with SportAccord also offering an interactive exhibition floorplan and 3-D flyover of the SportAccord 2022 exhibition space.

You can follow SportAccord’s portfolio of events via Twitter @sportaccord or keep up-to-date via LinkedIn, Facebook, YouTube, Flickr, VK, and Instagram.

Coldplay aims at reducing emissions related to their next world tour by 50 per cent, and to remove the remaining unavoidable emissions with a portfolio of carbon removal solutions.  
“Playing live and finding connection with people is ultimately why we exist as a band,” said Coldplay. 
“We’ve been planning this tour for years, and we’re super excited to play songs from across our whole time together. At the same time, we’re very conscious that the planet is facing a climate crisis. 
“So we’ve spent the last two years consulting with environmental experts to make this tour as sustainable as possible, and, just as importantly, to harness the tour’s potential to push things forward. We won’t get everything right, but we’re committed to doing everything we can and sharing what we learn. It’s a work in progress and we’re really grateful for the help we’ve had so far.” 
Nature-based carbon removal solutions to be used include reforestation, soil restoration, rewilding, and blue carbon projects, such as seagrass meadow restoration. Other solutions include sustainable aviation fuels, and a direct air capture and storage solution from Climeworks – the only technological approach included. 
Christoph Gebald, co-CEO and co-founder of Climeworks said: “It is already proven that carbon removal at scale is a must on the current emissions pathway and technological solutions will be needed. 
“We are very inspired to see public figures like Coldplay seizing the magnitude of the challenge and acting boldly by working towards ambitious emissions reduction and removing the unavoidable part. Supporting them with our carbon dioxide removal service takes us one step closer to our vision of inspiring 1 billion people to remove CO2 from the air.” 
To limit global warming to 1.5°C, humanity needs to drastically reduce emissions (also called mitigation), which prevents new CO2 from entering the atmosphere. Historic and unavoidable emissions must also be removed from the air to achieve net-zero and net-negative emissions globally. 
According to Climeworks, some scientific studies indicate that by mid-century 10 billion tons of CO2 will need to be removed from the air every year to keep global warming in the line of the limits of the Paris Agreement.

[Source: IOC] An IOC member since 2020, Mrs Grabar-Kitarović is a former President of the Republic of Croatia. She will lead the Commission with immediate effect. The previous Chair, Kristin Kloster Aasen, stood down following her election to the Executive Board (EB), because no EB member can serve on the Future Host Commissions (for the Games of the Olympiad and the Olympic Winter Games), to ensure the broader participation of the IOC Session in the selection procedure. 

The new approach to electing Olympic hosts is more flexible and collaborative, with the IOC working with potential hosts to optimise their Olympic projects and align them with long-term social and economic development plans for the benefit of their communities. As a result, there is unprecedented interest from numerous parties on different continents in hosting future Olympic and Paralympic Games.

IOC President Thomas Bach said: “The Future Host Commissions have an important role in shaping the future of the Olympic Movement.

“Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović will bring rich and diverse skills and experience, including at the very highest levels of government and international relations. As a member of the same Commission, she has already contributed to the successful delivery of the first election under the new approach to choosing Olympic and Paralympic hosts, with the selection of Brisbane 2032,” he added.

Mrs Grabar-Kitarović said: “I am grateful for this opportunity to collaborate with potential hosts on Olympic projects, which will help them to achieve their long-term goals for development, public health, sports participation and inclusion.

“I would like to continue to build on the great work begun under Kristin’s leadership. It is an exciting chance to develop innovative ways to steer the Olympic Games into the future and explore the challenges facing upcoming hosts, such as climate change.”

The vacant position on the Future Host Commission for the Games of the Olympiad has been filled by the IOC member and President of World Triathlon, Marisol Casado.

[Source: Interkultur] This year, the biggest singing event in the world is coming to Flanders. Starting on October 30, more than 300 choirs from all corners of the world will take part in the 11th edition of the World Choir Games for a week. On September 15, the President of INTERKULTUR Günter Titsch and the Director of the World Choir Games 2021 Flanders Koenraad De Meulder officially kicked off both the campaign and ticket sale for the singing festival at the Handelsbeurs in Antwerp. Flemish Minister of Culture Jan Jambon, Flemish Minister of Tourism Zuhal Demir and the Mayor of Antwerp Bart De Wever were also present.

Every two years since 2000, INTERKULTUR has organized the World Choir Games, the so-called "Olympic Games for choirs". This 11th edition, Antwerp and Ghent are the host cities. From 30 October to 7 November they will be the scene of the world's largest singing festival. In doing so, they are following in the footsteps of cities such as Bremen, Cincinnati and Sochi. The organization expects more than 300 choirs to participate both live and digitally.

During this musical week there will be many events in and around the two Flemish host cities. Not only competitions, but also ceremonies, gala concerts and workshops. Ticket sales start today. The Friendship Concerts are free of charge. Given the current pandemic, which has already postponed the Choir Games by a year, unfortunately not all choirs can physically attend. The organization of the singing festival therefore developed a unique digital platform. This gives choirs the opportunity to contribute to the unique, cohesive atmosphere of the World Choir Games from their home countries.

Digital, social and fun

For the first time, the World Choir Games will be a hybrid event. "We are proud to present our innovative digital platform 'The Virtual Village' today. The unique concept offers the choirs, who in the current context cannot travel to Flanders, the chance to compete for eternal glory in the Virtual Games," says Sophie Detremmerie, COO of the World Choir Games 2021 Flanders. "But also the visitors will be able to enjoy the unique atmosphere of this event via the daily live streams in the digital Music Hall at home." The versatility of the Virtual Village is enormous.

"There is something for everyone," Sophie Detremmerie continues. "The host cities have worked out tourist content in 2D and 3D for the international singers in the digital Tourist Office, unique blogs and vlogs will appear, choirs can meet colleagues from all over the world in a virtual café, ..." Moreover, through a unique collaboration, the choirs will also be seen in more than 30 Flemish residential care centers. This way, the residents can attend the concerts in a safe way.

The Choral Flame brings light through Flanders

By analogy with the Olympic flame, the World Choir Games have a Choral Flame. It was handed over to Flanders in Tshwane (South Africa), the previous host city. On September 15, it was re-lit and began a five-week relay trip to numerous Flemish cities. The Choral Flame is a symbol of the warmth that singing together spreads in society. You can also follow the Koorvlam in the Virtual Village. The effect of the flame reaches further. Special efforts were made to involve disadvantaged groups in the Studio Koorvlam event. For example, a caravan travels through Flanders stopping at people with dementia, with physical disabilities, people in poverty and at an interfaith singing group. 

Flemish cultural heritage

Flanders was not randomly chosen as host region. Singing is an important element of our culture. Today Flanders has more than 1,000 choirs and 35,000 singers. No less than 1 in 3 Flemings are directly or indirectly involved in an amateur arts organization such as a choir. This puts us at the top of the lists worldwide in terms of cultural participation. Flemish Minister-President and Minister of Culture, Jan Jambon: "Flanders has a rich tradition in the field of vocal culture. We are therefore very proud to be able to organize the World Choir Games this year. The Games allow the many participating Flemish choirs to meet their international colleagues in a creative and inspiring way. Moreover, in this way Flanders gets the chance to show itself from its best side with our heritage and our gastronomy."

Meeting point for the international World Choir Council

In addition to the numerous concerts and virtual meetings, the General Conference of the World Choir Council marks also an important part of the World Choir Games. "It is a fantastic sign that we can also hold the General Conference of our most important advisory body in Flanders – live and virtually! More than 120 representatives from over 90 countries and regions are invited to come together to discuss current developments in the international choral scene and to exchange practical experience. Thus, as ambassadors, they will bring confidence to the choirs in their home countries, motivate them and make the stages of the world resound again soon", says Günter Titsch, President of INTERKULTUR, the World Choir Games & World Choir Council.

Tickets for the competitions, workshops, ceremonies Main Ceremonies and Celebration Concerts will be on sale starting September 15 through the World Choir Games website, www.wcg2021.be. The Virtual Village is accessible free of charge beginning September 15, at www.virtualvillage.be.

The World Choir Games are an international choir event of INTERKULTUR. The WCG 2021 are organized in Flanders on the initiative of EventFlanders - a partnership of Tourism Flanders, the Department of Culture, Youth and Media and the Department of Foreign Affairs - the cities of Antwerp and Ghent and Koor&Stem vzw. www.wcg2021.be.

[Source: Interkultur] Three regional meetings of the World Choir Council took place on August 25 and 26, 2021, where its members came together online to discuss current topics from the international choral scene.

The Regional Meetings were organized as a hybrid event for the first time. More than 100 participants from all over the world in total attended the meetings, including members of the World Choir Council and invited guests. The three conferences happened online with several additional events taking place at the same time in the City of Chengdu, China.

Hoping that this pilot project will lead to many other editions in the future, Mr. Günter Titsch, President of INTERKULTUR & World Choir Council said:

“The ’International Music Capital’ Chengdu played an elementary role, as a large part of the World Choir Council events took place live there. Participants from all over the world were digitally connected to the choral music workshops, master classes and a special symposium. The conference brought us a big step closer to our common goal of seeing choirs live on the stages of the world again. Special thanks to the City of Chengdu and the Chengdu Musical Fun Management Committee for the opportunity and to the China Chorus Association as well as "Chorus China" of Chinese Musicians Association for the opportunity”,

The focus of the regional meetings in August 2021 was mainly on mutual exchange and discussion rounds to hear the manifold voices and opinions of all World Choir Council Members. New ideas were born together and the participants learned from the broad expertise represented in the World Choir Council.

The topics of the three regional meetings varied for the different regions with the meeting for Asia-Pacific, Middle East and China focusing mainly on the role of choral music in boys’ education and on problems and challenges especially composers and arrangers are facing during the pandemic.

In the regional meetings with council members from North, Central and South America questions of Environmental Sustainability were discussed and the participants tried to find solutions on how to use their voices for a positive change. Also, they tried to find answers to the question on how children and youth choirs can be encouraged to sing again.

The last of the three regional meetings took place on August 26 with members from Europe and Africa. They addressed one of the biggest challenges of our times, namely to affect positive change in communities or countries where different ideologies are at odds within the population, and exchanged ideas around the use of choirs and choral singing as a vehicle to reach this goal. Further they discussed the different learnings from the Covid pandemic: What lessons can be learnt from the past 1.5 years and which rehearsal methods will live on?

All members of the World Choir Council who participated in the meeting were happy about the possibility of exchange with other choir experts, especially with regard to cultural differences, different measures and approaches in relation to the pandemic and the work with choir singers.

First Vice President of INTERKULTUR & World Choir Council, Ms Qin Wang was pleased about the wonderful opportunity to come together with the World Choir Council live and virtually through this pilot project:

“In the pandemic, our goal is to unite together, support each other and to help and motivate our choirs to return to the stage as soon as possible. Our hybrid event was a great start to reach this goal and I'm sure we will continue on this path in our future global and regional projects."

INTERKULTUR & World Choir Council hopes to continue the exchange in the future and to use the results to tailor future projects even better to the needs of the choral scene. For this purpose there will be an additional survey.

The next General Conference of the World Choir Council which traditionally gathers all council members at one place, is already being planned to take place on November 3, 2021 in Flanders, Belgium during the 11th World Choir Games.

For more information on Interkultur visit www.interkultur.com – and to find out how and why to host the European Choir Games visit https://worldofchoirs.com/ecg/

[Source: Birmingham 2022] Aggreko, the global leader in mobile and modular energy solutions, has been named the Official Modular Energy Solutions Supporter for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games. The Games will see athletes compete in 19 sports at 14 locations, including the brand-new Aquatics Centre in Sandwell, all powered by Aggreko’s innovative temporary power solutions.

Aggreko will be applying relevant experience from previous international sporting events, including 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup and the 2019 Rugby World Cup.

Recognised for its values-led approach to business operations, Aggreko’s appointment demonstrates its commitment to meeting the Birmingham 2022 Social Values Charter, which puts community at the heart of the Games.

Aggreko will be providing a modular energy solution that has sustainability and legacy at its core, with the launch of a number of community projects aimed to educate and leave a long-lasting legacy of the Games, improving opportunities and skills for those living and working in the area.

This support includes running educational events on sustainability, enhancing understanding of sustainable technology and the energy transition, as well as nurturing STEM skills in local schools and not for profit organisations. These events will run before, during and after the Games, with the first set offering local school children the chance of winning Birmingham 2022 tickets to attend the biggest sporting and culture event to happen in the UK for a decade.

The Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games will see around 4,500 athletes from 72 nations and territories compete from 28 July until 8 August 2022. As the biggest event ever to be held in the West Midlands, it is expected to attract more than one million spectators to the city and have a global TV audience of 1.5 billion.

Robert Wells, Managing Director of Event Solutions at Aggreko said: “On behalf of everyone at Aggreko, we are delighted to be partnering with Birmingham 2022, and look forward to helping to deliver a truly outstanding Games, embracing the key objectives, within the Games-Social Values Charter, as well as delivering world class energy solutions.

“Not only will we deliver reliable, efficient and renewable temporary power solutions, but we will also help educate the wider community on the energy transition and the skills and technology needed for this to succeed, helping us all to understand and become excited about the new horizons for sustainability.”

James Eade, Head of Energy at Birmingham 2022, said: “We are delighted to have Aggreko on board as they join us as our Official Modular Energy Solutions Supporter for Birmingham 2022. Aggreko are well-known for their experience in temporary power solutions and they have an enviable pedigree when it comes to multi-games events; they are the ideal partner to help deliver a safe and sustainable Games.

In selecting a delivery partner, we saw that Aggreko’s low-carbon corporate roadmap dovetails neatly with our pioneering zero-carbon games initiative. We are looking forward to using some of Aggreko’s new power generation and storage technologies as well as developing innovative approaches to powering the Games, whilst still maintaining the highest levels of reliability.

“In addition to their work on competition venues, Aggreko are committed to working with us on our community engagement activities, in particular focusing on nurturing Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) skills within the local community. It is really important that we use exciting and engaging opportunities such as the Games to foster new talent in STEM subjects for the future benefit of our environment and well-being.”

Commonwealth Games Federation Executive Director Martin Reynolds said: “Having supported the previous two Commonwealth Games at Glasgow 2014 and Gold Coast 2018, we are delighted that Aggreko’s commitment and expertise will once again power world-class competition at Birmingham 2022. We are proud that the Commonwealth Sport brand continues to attract world leading organisations like Aggreko who share our vision.”

[Source: Commonwealth Games Federation] The Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) are delighted to announce that Katie Sadleir has been appointed as its new Chief Executive Officer (CEO).

The New Zealander will take up the position from her current role at World Rugby, where she is the General Manager of Women’s Rugby. 

A Commonwealth Games medallist and an Olympian, Katie has a wealth of experience as both an athlete and sports administrator.

Born in Scotland and raised in Canada, Katie made New Zealand her home and represented her adopted country at the Los Angeles 1984 Olympic Games in synchronised swimming, before competing at the Edinburgh 1986 Commonwealth Games two years later where she won the bronze medal in the women's solo. She also served as the Assistant Chef de Mission New Zealand at the Victoria 1994 Commonwealth Games and has attended six editions of the multi-sport competition in various capacities. 

Katie led the establishment of the New Zealand Academy of Sport network in the late 1990s before becoming General Manager of Sport and Recreation New Zealand (now Sport New Zealand) from 2000-2006.

She has held directorships with both Sport New Zealand and High-Performance Sport New Zealand while she has been a director with the International Association of Elite Sport Training Centres, a board member of the New Zealand Swimming Federation and a member of the New Zealand Olympic Committee (NZOC) Athletes’ Commission.

Katie has been General Manager of Women’s Rugby at World Rugby since 2016, where she has been responsible for spearheading the global development of the women's game.

Amongst a number of key achievements at World Rugby, Katie successfully developed and implemented the transformational 2017-25 women’s strategic plan to promote, grow and commercialise the women’s game.

She will formally take up the CGF CEO position in November 2021.

CGF President Dame Louise Martin said: “Following an extensive global search, the CGF are excited to be welcoming Katie Sadleir as our new Chief Executive Officer.

“As a former athlete and experienced administrator across multiple sports, Katie was the outstanding candidate for the position in what was a high-quality field. 

“She will play a leading role in driving the future strategic direction of our organisation through Birmingham 2022 and beyond. 

“We look forward to Katie joining us later in the year.”

New CGF CEO Katie Sadleir said: “I am delighted to be taking up the CGF Chief Executive Officer role at what is very exciting time for the Commonwealth Sport Movement.

“With Birmingham 2022 fast approaching and the Games nearing its centenary in 2030, there is a fantastic opportunity to enhance our global sporting movement as one that is fully focused on community legacy, benefit and impact through sport. 

“I look forward to working with my new colleagues at the CGF, CGF Partnerships and Commonwealth Sport Foundation.

“I am also excited to closely collaborate with our Commonwealth Games Associations, International Federations, Games Organising Committees, Host City Partners and Commonwealth institutions to help achieve our collective goals.” 

World Rugby Chief Executive Alan Gilpin said: “World Rugby would like to wish Katie every success in her exciting appointment as Chief Executive of the Commonwealth Games Federation, a close partner of rugby. Katie leaves an impressive lasting legacy having successfully devised a transformational strategy to normalise, promote, grow and commercialise the women’s game. 

“As we approach the halfway mark of the women’s strategic plan, a solid platform is in place for the sport to continue to press on and make impactful change that will continue to accelerate the development of women’s rugby and women in rugby globally, cementing its place as a leader in this priority area.

“Katie, supported by all our unions and regions, has created an unstoppable movement and momentum that the rugby family will continue to harness and push forward to ensure the phenomenal advancement of women’s rugby and women in rugby continues to flourish.”

The recruitment process for the CGF CEO process was supported by leading global executive search and talent consulting firm SRI.