Nov 8, 2019
The event took part in Katowice, Poland on 5-7th of November and gathered around 1500 participants. The Conference and the accompanying meetings of WADA Executive Committee and the Foundation Board were an opportunity to approve the new International Standards as well as the 2021 World Anti Doping Code. Regarding the substantial changes, EU Athletes is pleased to see a new article 10.2.4 on Substance of Abuse, which is a step in the right direction regarding the health and welfare of players, an approach that player unions have been advocating for many years.
The new WADA President Witold Banka and vice-President Yang Yang were also officially appointed in Katowice to start their work in the new respective roles next year. Both Mr Bank and Ms Yang participated in the informal meeting with athlete representatives, including EU Athletes and World Players Association.
For Paulina Tomczyk, EU Athletes General Secretary: ‘We appreciate this approach and count for further dialogue as more work is needed in order to make sure that the anti-doping system is fair, proportionate and respects the rights of players. Athletes need to be able to take part in creation of the rules that affect them and importantly, to be represented by the people of their own chosing in that process.’
For further information, EU Athletes’ members common position on anti-doping can be found here.
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Nov 4, 2019
Since January 2018, EU Athletes has been involved as a parnert the EU-funded project ‘European Social Dialogue Targeted Initiative: Strenghtening social Dialogue in the Professional Basketball Sector’. The project, coordinated by UNI Europa, allowed the player unions representing basketball players to participate in a number of meetings and work together in oder to discuss current issues and challenges, share best practices and learn from each other. Importantly, newly established player associations could also benefit from the knowledge and advice from the more experienced ones.
As the final action of the project which concluded this fall, top level players from 5 player associations (Sporta-Belgium, SNB-France, GIBA-Italy, ABP-Spain, ZZK-Poland) participated in a video where they talked about the reasons to join and to support their unions. While the reasons can be different for everyone, the common message from athletes around the Europe remains: ‘We are stronger together’.
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Oct 18, 2019
For the first time hosted outside Europe, Play the Game took place in Colorado Springs 13-16th of October 2019. With over 300 participants, the Conference provided a venue for inspiring debates on the most topical themes in the world of sport with the conference’s main theme: Athlete power on the rise. Play the Game 2019 also took on classic themes like doping, whistleblowing, match-fixing, corruption, but also one of the most discussed topics in the U.S., elite sport and college education, will be at centre stage during the conference.
The host city of Play the Game 2019 has a prominent position in U.S. sport and is also an Olympic City USA. The city also hosts the main Olympic and Paralympic Training Center along with over 25 national sports federations plus the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency and United States Olympic Committee.
For Paulina Tomczyk, EU Athletes General Secretary who was involved in the organization of the Conference as a member of Programme Committee: ‘Athletes are increasingly standing up for their rights and want to work in partnership with sport to develop in a way which will benefit all stakeholders. Athletes’ power is an essential factor to go forward and as the representative of independent player unions and associations, I am happy to share the model that have already been a part of such positive developments in many professional and elite level sports.’
More information on the event can be found on the website. Videos from conference sessions are available on Play the Game YouTube channel.
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Oct 9, 2019
EU Athletes member associations met in Athens, Greece, on 9th of October for the annual meeting. Members and staff discussed the work and achievements of the organiazation over the last months, including Erasmus+ projects, cooperation with key stakeholders such as European Union and Council of Europe, as well as latest developments within the sport policy, including anti-doping or the Olympic Rule 40.
During the Assembly, Brendon Batson and Natalia Orive were reelected to the Board for 3 year terms. Subsequently, at the Board meeting they have been reelected as the President and Vice-President of EU Athletes respectively.
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