Foreword IFF President WFC 2004 for men in Switzerland
Distinguished guests and floorball friends,
On behalf of the International Floorball Federation (IFF) I have the pleasure and honour to announce the World Floorball Championships for men in Switzerland 2004. The tournament is organized by the Swiss Floorball Association and hosted, and supported, by the cities of Zürich and Kloten. This is the fifth edition of the WFC for men, and the IFF is very pleased that the standards and number of participating countries are rising every time. In Switzerland as many as 20 of IFF´s totally 32 member associations are playing in the A- and B- Divisions. If including also the recently played C- Division in Spain as many as 28 are playing the WFC 2004.
The IFF is very pleased with the SUHV as a good organizer, and with top officials and good management. At the last WFC 2003 for women we saw that SUHV´s good job on media, in particular TV, and attracting the spectators, was very successful. At the WFC 2004 I am confident that we will all see the set standards on an even higher level for the good of all Floorball development worldwide.
On the international level we greet welcome the latest and 32nd member association of IFF, the Pakistan Federation of Floorball. I am confident that with Pakistan as an official member the development in Asia will be even stronger, which is good not only for the IFF, but in particular for the development in the region and for the good of all Asian members.
In order to meet with the International Vision, amongst others IOC recognition in 2006 according to the IOC charter, the IFF has, amongst others, taken the following steps.
The IFF has handed in an application to GAISF for ordinary membership. The GAISF Council has decided to submit our application to the next GAISF General Assembly, actually held in Lausanne on May the 20th, parallel to the WFC. We all together at this stage fully comply with all regulations and requirements of GAISF. In order to be able to fully take part in the World Games organized by the IWGA, the IFF has informed the IWGA that we intend to apply for membership as soon as we are accepted as an ordinary member of GAISF. For the next edition of the World Games, arranged in Germany, in Duisburg, in July 2005, we have already at this stage applied for observer status. The application for observer status was handed in, in order not to loose speed in the important market Germany.
On Friday May the 21st, the IFF Congress is held in Zürich. On the agenda are many vital topics, such as decisions on ordinary memberships in IFF, and motions from member associations. Today IFF consists of 9 ordinary members, and 23 provisional members. Consequently to the decision at the
Congress in Helsinki in 2002, the IFF is now proposing that all provisional members being provisional for the last four years will be ordinary members after a decision in Congress. The IFF also proposes a new plan of action and accordingly a new budget for the next two years in order to meet with the IFF Vision set by the last Congress in 2002 in Helsinki.
Looking forward to seeing you all and a thrilling tournament. The IFF conveys many thanks to the Schweizerischer Unihockey Verband in cooperation with the cities of Zürich and Kloten for organizing the WFC 2004.
Yours sincerely,
Tomas Eriksson
IFF President
