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2008 ISSF General Assembly – The shooting family met in Beijing, at the ISSF General Assembly

Determinant decisions were taken at the ISSF General Assembly conducted under the direction of the ISSF President Olegario Vàzquez Raña in Beijing yesterday. The ISSF Delegates were introduced to the 2008 Olympic Games, to the 2009 Shotgun World Championships and to the 2010 ISSF World Championships in all events. The 2011 and the 2014 World Championships were assigned, and the ISSF Secretary General Horst G. Schreiber presented some rules and fees modifications. ISSF Blue Cross recognition was awarded to three distinguished members of the shooting family.

The ISSF President Mr. Olegario Vàzquez Raña opened the ISSF General Assembly held at the Shongri-La Hotel in Beijing yesterday. President Olegario Vàzquez Raña addressed his warmest welcome to the Delegates and the guests, introducing the main issues of the meeting “We are holding this Assembly in the capital of the People’s Republic of China, were the 2008 Olympic Games will kick-off next August. We experienced an excellent collaboration with the Chinese Shooting Federation and with the BOCOG during the last four years – he explained – and we are proud to be here, where the best shooting range we have ever seen was built to host our sport. These excellent facilities are going to host a combined World Cup in these days, and more then 1000 athletes coming from all other the World will have a chance to experience the Olympic venues.”
President Olegario Vàzquez Raña also introduced to the delegates the BOCOG Executive Vice-President Mr. Yang Shu’An, who expressed his congratulations to the ISSF family and introduced some Olympics facts to the delegates “BOCOG had the full support of the IOC and of the Chinese Government during the last four years – he stated – and we paid special attention to the suggestions coming from National Olympic Committees and Sport Federations, to provide the best facilities and organization to host the Olympic family here in Beijing. We conducted more than 36 successful test events, and we are therefore confident in the success of the Games – he continued – Shooting is one of the oldest Olympic sports, and the ISSF has greatly contributed to the Olympic movement. We are glad to have you here for this Good Luck Beijing 2008 test event, and we will appreciate your valuable suggestions.” Mr. Li Feng continued presenting a report about the Games. The competitions will take place between the 9th and the 17th of August, while the range will probably be available for training since the 27th of July. Rifle and Pistol ranges will be equipped with Sius Ascor electronic targets, while Laporte throwing machines will be used on the shotgun ranges. Mr. David Parish of Great Britain will be the Technical Delegate for all the Rifle and Pistol events, while Mr. Medhat Wahdan of Egypt will be the ISSF T. Delegate for Shotgun.
The General Assembly was also a stage for important decisions regarding future competitions. The 2011 Shotgun World Championships was assigned to Serbia, the only candidate to host the competition. The Championships will be held at the well-known BG Kovilovo shooting centre, in the outskirts of Belgrade.
Delegates’ vote was necessary to decide the location of the 2014 ISSF World Championships in all events. The Spanish city of Granada won the votes of the delegates (87 votes went to Granada, 56 votes to Beijing, 7 votes to Serbia). The competition will be hold at the King Juan Carlos I shooting range, in Las Gabias, Granada, the same venue that hosted the 2006 ISSF World Cup Finals in all events and the 2007 European Championships. “There are no losers – commented the President Mr. Olegario Vàzquez Raña – we are all winners after this vote. Our sports wins: this is the best for our shooters”.
The Slovenian shooting Union presented the 2009 Shotgun Championships, which will be conducted at the Guj Shooting Centre, placed just a few kilometres outside Maribor, the second Slovenian city.
Coming in next, the Secretary General of the German Shooting Federation Mr. Jörg Brokamp, presented his report on the preparation of the 2010 ISSF World Championships in all events, that will be conducted at the 1972 Olympic Shooting Range of Munich. “We are now completing the construction of the fourth and fiftht shotgun ranges, that will be ready next October. We will host a combined World Cup in 2009, when you are going to experience a renewed range.”
The Assembly gave also important indications about rules modifications. ISSF Secretary General Horst G. Schreiber explained some ISSF Constitution modifications: the constitution now mentions the ISSF ethic code and the IOC anti doping regulation. The entry fee for future World Cup has been rose up to 170 Euros in consideration of the dollar’s loss of value. At the same time, the Membership fee has not changed “Considering the excellent conditions of our finances – explained Secretary General Schreiber – it was not needed to rise the membership fee.”
Secretary General Schreiber also reported to the Assembly about Olympic Quotas and Wild Cards. 366 Quota Places have been assigned to 66 countries throughout ISSF competitions, while the Tripartite Commission of the IOC, NOCs and ISSF assigned 10 “Universality Places” to some of those countries who had gained no Quotas (the list is avaiable on the ISSF website). Fourteen additional Wild Cards will be assigned by the ISSF President and Secretary General in the next days.
The ISSF President Olegario Vàzquez Raña also took the chance to award some distinguished members of the shooting family with the Blue Cross, the highest recognition of the International Shooting Sport Federation. President awarded the ISSF Blue Cross to Mr. David Parish, member of the Rifle Committee since 1978 and current Chairman of the ISSF Technical Committee and to Mr. Tomislav Sepec of Croatia. The ISSF Gold medal was awarded to Mr. Josè Geraldes de Oliveira of Portugal, President of the Portugese Clay Target Federation for 25 years.
The President closed the Assembly inviting all the Delegates to visit the Olympic Venues where more than 1000 athletes are competing in all the Olympic shooting events in these days.

Marco Dalla Dea

 

ISSF Partners