FIH STATUTORY CONGRESS.
Brussels, April 21, 2001.
Holland’s Els van Breda Vriesman elected F.I.H. President
Peter Cohen of Australia the new Hon. Secretary-General
(Photos)
by Patrick Rowley, Editor, FIH Newsletter
Els van Breda-Vriesman, of the Netherlands, was elected President of the International Hockey Federation after the first ever vote for the highest position in world hockey.
Amid great drama in Brussels’ Hilton Hotel, it took two votes to decide the issue. Mrs van Breda Vriesman, the Hon. Secretary-General, and Alain Danet of France, the president of the European Hockey Federation, each received 40 votes in the first ballot. Mrs van Breda Vriesman was elected when she received 43 votes in the second ballot.
A Master in Law, she thus becomes the first ever woman President of the FIH, the second Dutch President of the FIH - Quarles van Ufford was the first - and carries on the tradition of the Hon. Secretary General becoming President. She succeeds as President, another former Secretary General, Juan Angel Calzado of Spain who announced his decision not to present himself for re-election as President in February.
Calzado had been president since 1996 and had been a member of the FIH for 26 years. He was awarded the position of FIH Member of Honour the following day.
Els, as everyone calls her, is 60 years old and is fluent in four languages. She first became a hockey official in 1980 when she joined the Executive of the Royal Netherlands Hockey Association. She went on to become a Vice President of that association and later an Honorary Member.
She was also a very active member of the Dutch Olympic Committee and, at International Olympic Committee level, has been a member of the Evaluation Committee of the I.O.C. for both the 2004 and 2008 Olympic Games.
She joined the FIH as a council member in 1982, became a Vice President in 1992 and Hon. Secretary-General in 1994. She has carried out many roles, having been Technical Delegate at two Olympic Games and one World Cup.
She has also served the European Hockey Federation, both as executive member and Vice-President, and is now an Honorary member of that body.
On her election as FIH President, she told the FIH Congress, "These are exciting times in hockey - a new President, a new Executive Board and a new structure for the FIH. I look forward to the newly elected Executive Board capitalising on today’s mandate from the hockey world, by taking hockey forward with progressive vision".
Secretary by acclamation
There was to have been a vote for the position of Hon. Secretary-General between two candidates. However, after the election of the President, one of the candidates, Claire Peeters-Monseu of Belgium, withdrew. Peter Cohen of Australia was, therefore, elected by acclamation.
He becomes the first non-European to hold one of the top three posts within the FIH. A 58-year-old lawyer and past president of the Australian HA, he brings wide experience of hockey to his post.
Calzado farewell
The Congress had opened with an address by Juan Calzado, the retiring President. He explained why he had announced on February 9th that he would not stand at the end of his current four year term.
"On analysing my goals, I have come to the conclusion that, with the help of nearly everyone, my original aims have substantially been achieved. After 26 years of service to the FIH, I consider that I should leave the way open for a new person who can guarantee the unity of the FIH whilst bringing fresh ideas and projects to the sport".
He publicly expressed his appreciation of Juan Antonio Samaranch, the President of the IOC, and then paid a warm tribute to his wife and family, "for the full support and understanding they have shown through-out these years". He finished by promising, "You will be sure I will continue to work for hockey".
The missing voter
The process of elections began after the new Statutes and Bye-Laws, decided by the Congress on 25 November 2000, had been accepted.
The verification of credentials had already taken place and it was announced that a record 79 countries had registered. At this point, it was discovered that Peru were present but unregistered.
The number of countries registered should have been 81. The delegates of the Netherlands Antilles had the misfortune to be involved in a road accident on their way to the Congress and so took no part in the proceedings. Had they done so, there could not have been a tie on the first vote.
While Peru’s credentials were being checked, scrutineers were appointed under the jurisdiction of Robert (Bob) Watson. The English lawyer brought levity and humour to his supervision of the voting.
Both candidates for the Presidency made short speeches. Alain Danet spoke first, referring to a letter he had circulated; and saying how he would endeavour to promote the sport both inside and outside the family; and how he would strive for equality between men and women in the Olympic Games.
Els van Breda Vriesman started by suggesting that she might take a little more time than Mr Danet, adding, "but women are known to take a little longer".
She spoke of the need for a solid organisation. She felt she had gained tremendous experience since first becoming an official and had got to know hockey all over the world. She spoke briefly about each continent.
She concluded by saying, "I stand for a different kind of officialdom". She then asked delegates to, "make the chance for the future, not the past. "Please", she said "make the right choice, make your own choice".
Olympic windfall
After the voting and the scrutineers had left to count the votes, Robert Lycke, the FIH Treasurer, took the opportunity to speak about the FIH accounts. "Our finances are in very good health" he was delighted to tell delegates. "The year 2000 was exceptional".
He revealed that the IOC had decided to grant the FIH an increase of 63% for TV rights & marketing, a substantial increase in FIH revenue.
He confirmed that it had already been decided to double the FIH’s contributions to the Continental federations for hockey development.
Lycke advised that, in the light of financial developments around the world, a lot of the money held by the FIH would be transferred from US dollars into Euros.
He finished his address by emphasising that, "Hockey has to get more television in order to get more sponsorship".
"Moving forward"
It is now history that the first vote for the Presidency ended 40-40 and that the voting was 43-37 in favour Mrs Els van Breda-Vriesman on the second vote. It is obvious that the delegates of at least three countries changed their vote.
Els Van Breda Vriesman was immediately congratulated by Mr Danet who, at that moment, had come to the end of 38 years service in the FIH.
The new President then addressed the Congress stressing, "I do not regard this as personal victory. I see it as a victory for those who want to move the sport forward. I hope those who did not vote for me, will now support me and the Executive Board".
As soon as Els was elected, Claire Peeters-Monseu withdrew her candidature for the position of Hon. Secretary General. If Mr Danet had become President, the Belgian would automatically have been elected Secretary since at least one of the top three officials of the FIH has to be a woman. Peter Cohen of Australia was elected.
New Vice President
The five people nominated as the representative of their continent on the Executive Board had already been confirmed by the Congress. The next election was for the two Vice Presidents. Pam Tye of Australia was the only nomination for the post of Woman Vice President and was elected a Vice President for the first time. There were two candidates for the post of Male Vice President, HRH Sultan Azlan Shah of Malaysia and Tony von Ondarza of Venezuela. It was Ondarza who won the vote (46-34). In accepting congratulations, he said, "We have to make our sport more attractive for so many reasons".
His election was followed by that of Rechelle Hawkes of Australia as the Athlete’s Representative.
The new President was elected for a four year term as was the new Woman Vice President, the General Secretary and Male Vice President have two year terms. Robert Lycke, the FIH Treasurer, still has two years of his appointment to run.
Ten Ordinary Members
All the candidates to become Ordinary Members of the Executive Board were given the opportunity to address Congress for a minute. Fumio Ogura of Japan sat poised with a stop watch but only had need to use his buzzer once.
Delegates were told by Watson that they had to vote for ten candidates or their paper would not count. To be elected a candidate had to get 41 votes (50% plus one).
Annabel Dillon (SIN) headed the voting with 63 votes but only eight delegates received 41 or more votes so that it was necessary for a second vote to take place between the four next best for the remaining two places. It was then announced which of the Ordinary Members would serve for four years and which for two.
While the scrutineers were counting, presentations were made. Avtar Singh Sohal of Kenya and Islahuddin of Pakistan, two former internationals who are now officials, received the FIH Diploma of Merit. Juan Calzado, in making the presentation to Islahuddin, described, "how beautifully he played hockey".
The Pablo Negre Trophy for the country that has contributed most to the promotion and development of hockey, was presented to Scotland for the second time; the Rene Frank Trophy for Fair Play, to Lithuania.
Ends
