ICF Canoe Polo Committee meeting

[Frits]

The canoe polo committee meeting will be held from February 10th untill 13th in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, where the members of the committee will meet the organisers of the 2006 Canoe Polo World Championships and a delegation from the city of Amsterdam. The championships will be organised by the Dutch Canoe Federation from August 9th untill 13th on the Bosbaan.

On the 12th, the committee shall travel on and will, together with ICF president Mr. Ulrich Feldhoff, have a meeting in Duisburg, Germany with the organisers of the 2005 World Games and the President of the International World Games Association Mr. Ron Fröhlich.

On the committee’s agenda are proposals for the rules. The committee is specific looking to kayak dimensions and the rules of play. The regulation to define the 24 Men, 24 Women and 16 Under-21 Men teams to compete at the 2006 Worlds will be decided on. A program for the coming 2 years on coaching and referees courses is another item.

[Guest]

Is there any reason why an U21 Ladies division is not going to be discussed?

[Patrick]

The canoe polo committee meeting will be held from February 10th untill 13th in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, where the members of the committee will meet the organisers of the 2006 Canoe Polo World Championships and a delegation from the city of Amsterdam. The championships will be organised by the Dutch Canoe Federation from August 9th untill 13th on the Bosbaan.

On the 12th, the committee shall travel on and will, together with ICF president Mr. Ulrich Feldhoff, have a meeting in Duisburg, Germany with the organisers of the 2005 World Games and the President of the International World Games Association Mr. Ron Fröhlich.

On the committee’s agenda are proposals for the rules. The committee is specific looking to kayak dimensions and the rules of play. The regulation to define the 24 Men, 24 Women and 16 Under-21 Men teams to compete at the 2006 Worlds will be decided on. A program for the coming 2 years on coaching and referees courses is another item.

Does anyone know if there is a forum for input from players to the ICF?

Thanks,

[Duncan Cochrane]

As a Member of the ICF Athletes Commission I am more than willing to present any questions, comments or issues to either the ICF or the ICF Canoe Polo committee. In the past I have raises several issues on behalf of many players and teams around the world- the most recent being about the limiting of team numbers for 2006.

I cannot guarantee any outcome- but if anyone has anything they would like me to raise at this meeting I am more than willing to do so.

You can either reply to this post or email me direct with a personal message.

Duncan Cochrane
ICF Athletes Representative

[mark19843]

Any feedback on the new boat regulations and when they're coming in would be welcome.

Mark

[Patrick]

As a Member of the ICF Athletes Commission I am more than willing to present any questions, comments or issues to either the ICF or the ICF Canoe Polo committee. In the past I have raises several issues on behalf of many players and teams around the world- the most recent being about the limiting of team numbers for 2006.

Duncan,

First, thank you for responding so quickly and acting as a voice for players.

I certainly would second raising the issue of limiting teams at Worlds at this point in time.

Of course, it directly affects the United States with its showing at the most recent Worlds, but I believe there are many other nations, which are adversely affected but such a move. Specifically, the North and South American countries, where polo is still mostly in development stage. It also would seem that the eastern European countries would have a hard go at it, considering the current dominance of western Europe. The countries of Poland, Hungary, Slovenia, Slovakia (some with proven excellence in the Olympic paddling sports) to name a few would struggle, I believe, to grow the sport if inclusion in the Worlds were made near impossible for them right now.

In addition, if continental championships are, in part, going to be used to determine possible inclusion, it would seem prudent to actually follow the geographical guidelines for continental distinction (i.e. North and South America are separate continents, which have a combined population of nearly a billion people).

Anyway, I think that about covers it for me.

I do appreciate your willingness to listen.

[Patrick]

Is there somewhere one can read the transcript for this meeting or, at least, some synopsis of the event?

Thanks,

The canoe polo committee meeting will be held from February 10th untill 13th in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, where the members of the committee will meet the organisers of the 2006 Canoe Polo World Championships and a delegation from the city of Amsterdam. The championships will be organised by the Dutch Canoe Federation from August 9th untill 13th on the Bosbaan.

On the 12th, the committee shall travel on and will, together with ICF president Mr. Ulrich Feldhoff, have a meeting in Duisburg, Germany with the organisers of the 2005 World Games and the President of the International World Games Association Mr. Ron Fröhlich.

On the committee’s agenda are proposals for the rules. The committee is specific looking to kayak dimensions and the rules of play. The regulation to define the 24 Men, 24 Women and 16 Under-21 Men teams to compete at the 2006 Worlds will be decided on. A program for the coming 2 years on coaching and referees courses is another item.

[mrkeeg]

Hi Duncan,
Thank you for your work and correspondence between the large community at canoepolo.com and the ICF.

Can you briefly explain the power structure involved here? Reading the discussions on this site, the impression is that there is some frustration with recent ICF decisions. The frustration and confusion is compounded by the fact that no one seems to know where/why/by who the decisions are being made, but most especially because no one seems to know how they can be represented / heard, or how they can exert democratic influence.

Thanks a lot,
Keegan

PS:
For anyone else interested, to start off, there is some good info on the ICF page http://www.canoeicf.com/

The statutes and structure sections answer these questions, and I will try to summarize the parts I see as important and post here when I get a chance. Otherwise, Duncan, with an "insiders view" and experience may be able to most simply and clearly outline it for us.

[RB-Ex-MrPolo]

The canoe polo committee meeting

The committee is specific looking to kayak dimensions and the rules of play. The regulation to define the 24 Men, 24 Women and 16 Under-21 Men teams to compete at the 2006 Worlds will be decided on. A program for the coming 2 years on coaching and referees courses is another item.



Bit of a history lesson.

At the very foundation meetings that set ICF Polo rules, it was pointed out strongly that the BCU specs were too complicated, almost impossible to build to and scrutineer. But the BCU rep dug his heels in. So for close to 20 years we have lived with rules that are too complicated, courtesy of one Mr BP.

A simplified set of rules was formally proposed I think around about 1989. Actually only took one A4 page. For years they were "under consideration" by ICF Polo.

Meanwhile, virtually every kayak failed scutineering in 1994 World Championships, 1996 World Championships, mostly on ridiculous technicalities.

Can we really believe that ICF Polo Committee will make real progress on this after nearly 20 years ?

Don't hold your breath.

Anyone seen the proposals they are considering so far ? Or is that secret ?