SportAccord, GAISF and ARISF President Raffaele Chiulli opened the first-ever World Association of Kickboxing Organizations (WAKO) National Federation Development Workshop with an inspirational message on sport’s mission to serve society by motivating and encouraging international federations and athletes during these challenging times presented by the pandemic.
The WAKO workshop, the first of its kind, saw member federations from over 50 countries from all five continents come together both in person in Istanbul, Turkey and remotely. Approximately 150 attendees were able to join workshops run by experts on a number of key subjects, including good governance, social media promotion, sports analytics and high-performance sports development, and growth.
“Together, when we are in each other’s corners, we can learn how we can continue to inspire humanity through sport. How we can continue to bring the social, physical and mental benefits of sport and physical activity. Sport is needed now more than ever,” said President Chiulli.
“But let me say that we are clearly still living in uncertain times. It will take a united effort from all of us to come through this stronger than ever before. The global sport community must continue to provide opportunities, motivate and serve our athletes and fans worldwide. And GAISF, as the united voice of sports, will be here to support you on this journey.”
WAKO President Roy Baker said:
“Our National Federation Development Workshop was highly successful. I am excited to see our member federations implement some of the lessons and best practices they learnt, along with the continued development of kickboxing worldwide.
“It was also an honour to have GAISF, SportAccord and ARISF President Raffaele Chiulli opening our event, demonstrating just how much the WAKO family has grown within the Olympic movement.”
