The Council of the International Fair Play Committee held meeting
The International Fair Play Committee held its regular Council meeting in Budapest over the weekend on 21-22 April 2023. At the two-day event, participants decided on the winners of the 2022 Fair Play Awards and discussed several other topics.
The Council meeting, which was arranged in a hybrid form, was opened by Mr. Pál Schmitt, former member of the IOC and former President of Hungary. The participants, those who were present and those who connected online, approved the reports for the year 2022 and discussed the planned programmes for this year. Fair Play representation at Paris 2024 Olympic Games were also discussed. The mission of the International Fair Play Committee is to promote Fair Play to athletes, coaches and sport-leaders at world events, especially at international championships for young athletes, including the World University Games in this summer. This year’s highlighted event is the World Athletics Championships, which will be hosted by Budapest. For several years, our organisation in cooperation with World Athletics have been running a joint Fair Play Call for the World Athletics Championships and this will be the case in this August.
At the meeting, the Scientific Commission was formed, motivated by the increasing number of professional invitations and conferences, and the 2022 Fair Play Award winners were decided.
‘We have never received so many nominations as we have this year, which shows the recognition of this organisation and a good acknowledgement of our work. We are also grateful to the media, who are helping to spread the news and videos of Fair Play acts, raising the attention that the unscrupulous, trampling behaviour is not always the only way to go. As our slogan also says: Fair Play is more than victory! It is also important to note, that nominations were received from more than 15 countries, including those countries and regions from which we have not received any or only a few nominations before, and that we have received nominations of a very high standard. I hope, that we will be able to present the Fair Play Awards again this year in a memorable ceremony, as all the winners are deserve it.’ – summarized Jenő Kamuti, who has been leading the organisation for 23 years.
2022 World Fair Play Awardees:
Pierre de Coubertin World Fair Play Act
Kai Verbij, speed skater, Netherlands, Trophy – In a race he decided not to jeopardise his opponent. Laurent Dubreuil’s chances of winning a medal with a risky overtake, so slowed down to avoid a collision, resulting in Laurent Dubreuil winning the silver medal, and Kai Verbij finishing last.
Sheila Liliana Tejeda, fencer, Mexico, Trophy – Due to lost luggage at the airport, she lent her equipment to one of her competitors, including her jacket, armpit and chest protectors, which they then shared at the competition.
Patrick Dogue, pentathlon, Germany, Diploma – One Korean athlete’s pistol failed to work just before one minute before the start of the competition and a German athlete in the next lane gave the Korean athlete his spare pistol and politely showed him how to shoot with this pistol in the qualification competition.
Polona Klemencic és Ula Hafner, biathlon, Slovenia, Diploma – Norway’s Marte Olsbu Roeiseland lost a vital rifle part during the first biathlon competition of Beijing 2022. Slovenian’s keen eyed biathlete, Polona Klemencic noticed Roeiseland’s rifle was missing the iris. She immediately notified her team’s physiotherapist Ula Hafner. Ula Hafner alerted the Norwegians, who did not immediately notice that their athlete had dropped the crucial rifle part.
Jean Borotra World Fair Play Career
Kathrine Switzer, athletics, USA, Trophy – She is the first woman, who completed the Boston Marathon, achieving women’s equality in marathon running.
Gurban Gurbanov, football, Azerbaijan, Diploma – The most famous of his several Fair Play actions was when he challenged his goal scorer in the UEFA Conference League match Qarabag – Marseille and ordered him to immediately inform to the referee, who had not noticed the handling, that he had hit the ball with his hand.
Marco Calamai, basketball, Italy, Diploma – Since 1995 he has been an instructor training children and adults with intellectual disabilities playing together.
Antal Dunai, football, Hungary, Diploma – Hungarian Olympic football champion, coach, sports manager.
Willi Daume World Fair Play Promotion
Christian Hinterberger, football, sports leader, Austria, Trophy – He is a former vice-president of ASKOE and a member of the Executice Committee of the Federal Sports Organisation Austria. He played soccer for 20 years in local leagues and continued his relationship with the sport as trainer. He is a founding member of the European Fair Play Movement (EFPM).
Associations Stop Racism in Sport and Panathlon Wallonie-Bruxelles , Belgium, Trophy – Under the authority of Minister of Sports (in French-speaking part of Belgium) and in collaboration with the media RTBF Sport, the ASBL Panathlon Wallonie-Bruxelles, chaired by Philippe Housiaux, and Stop Racism in Sport, chaired by Thierry Witsel, are proposing a series of concrete actions that will allow the positive messages of openness, understanding and tolerance to be relayed further and further away. This campaign is called: “No Racism is Sport”.
Municipality Ganshoren, Belgium, Diploma – Since 17 February 2022 a monumental work art called “Fair Play” has adorned the public space in Brussels, firmly anchored on the roundabout located a few steps away from the Sports Halls of the Brussels municipality of Ganshoren.
Prof. Gülfem Sezen Balcikanli, Türkiye, Diploma – Successful academic and champion gymnast. Author of the book: “How to teach Fair Play t children”.
Prof. Bilge Dönuk, Türkiye, Diploma – university professor, author of several articles on Fair Play.
Jacques Rogge World Fair Play Award for the Youth
U20 Japan’s Women’s National Team, football, Japan, Trophy – With their attitude of not giving up until the end, the spirit of Fair Play, and politeness, they received support from many countries at the FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup Costa Rica. Their attitude was also recognised by FIFA with a Fair Play Award.
Edoardo Ferrari, kickbox, Italy, Diploma – In his category he won the final due to the absence of his opponent. However, when the latter managed, albeit out of time, to reach the PalaInvent, Edoardo decided to hand the medal back to the judges and fight the competition, managing, this time, to deservedly earn the Italian title.
Hanna Chojnicka, sailing, Poland, Diploma – at a training session held during a training camp on Lake Garda, she noticed that one of the girls was unfortunate and painfully hit in the head by a boom, and her boat capsized. Hanna reacted instantly to the situation, she swam up to her friend and helped her get into her OPTIMISTA. Then, not wearing a dry storm jacket, she jumped into the cold (March!) water of the lake and after putting the boat down swam up and handed it to the injured sailor.
Tamura (FC Artista U-15 Joetsu High School), football, Japan, Diploma – It was an important match that saw relegation at stake, but the referee won a whistle and a penalty kick in the second half of the 0-2 win, but Tamura told the referee that he had accidentally fallen and it was not a penalty, and restarted with a drop ball.
