A project for FIS
I feel it is my duty to announce, to all those involved in Savate around the world, the decisions taken by the Management Committee (CDI) on 11th June 2007.
The principal objective of the FIS Management Committee (CDI) is to become a member of the General Association of the International Sporting Federations (GAISF) based inMonaco.
In the "sporting world", membership of GAISF is considered as the first essential step towards Olympic recognition. Membership of GAISF has a direct influence on the award of subsidies to the various sporting federations in all nations, and on the acceptance of the national federations of Savate by their National Olympic Committees.
The CDI has decided to apply for membership as soon as possible. This means submitting our application, in accordance with GAISF statutes, 9 months before their General meeting. Mr Davorin BUKOVAC, president of the Croatian Federation of Savate, who directs a law firm and is a lawyer himself, and Mr Joel DHUMEZ, who became a member of the CDI in Marseilles, have been given responsibility for this action. It should be recognised that we are today in a competition (some say with "aggressive rivalry"!) where time acts against Savate. Nevertheless, Savate has assets which give me confidence in the future - the 200 year history of Savate, an educational sport, aesthetic and effective, shaped by an ethic and values, cannot be compared to the rival sports born a few years ago.
The GAISF file should be consolidated by having Savate join the International Federation of University Sports (IFUS) based inBrussels,Belgium.
After an initial contact with IFUS, when the University of Nantes wanted to organize an official world university championship of Savate, and several meetings with the head office of the French Federation of University Sports (FFUS), the IFUS has given us an appointment for next October at the time of its Management committee meeting, so that we can present our candidature.
It should be noted that a previous application was refused in 2006 because the members of the IFUS management committee were not familiar with Savate and thought it was a French request concerning a "French-Franco" sport! Our member, the French Federation of Savate (FFS) is working hard to consolidate this application as a new vote of the IFUS will be made in October.
It is up to the FFUS to present the application, but today the FFS and the IFUS are systematically consulted to ensure that it contains all that is required by the IFUS.
Many other nations beside France are also offering their support. At the time of the CDI of Marseilles, I was able to announce that Turkey has officially requested to host the World University Championship for 2008, France for 2010 in Nantes, Russia for 2012 in Saint Petersburg, England for 2014 in Cambridge. Moreover, Mr Piette president of the Belgian federation and Mr Walnier DTN, assured me of their support regarding the acceptance of Savate by the IFUS. Mr Walnier has a good understanding of how the IFUS works and how it makes its decisions and reassured me in my hopes of a successful outcome.
A third decision, unanimously supported by the CDI, concerned the question of joining the Higher Council of African Sport (CSSA), based in Douala, Cameroon.
This would enable us to have Savate recognised as an official sport in the African Games and would also allow us to confirm our international status for the GAISF.
Mr Alain GERNET, member of the management committees of FIS and of FFSbf&DA, first contacted the CSSA in 2006. The CSSA acknowledged its interest in Savate and made known its expectations regarding this sport. It requires that we be established in at least 7 African countries.
Algeria, Cameroon, Madagascar, Morocco, Senegal, Sudan and Tunisia are affiliated with FIS; Egypt has just requested affiliation.
If participation of Savate within the CSSA is confirmed, I think it will facilitate the consolidation of Savate in the African countries, and bring new nations to join us.
In accordance with the wishes of the CDI to strengthen the representation of Savate in the international bodies governing sport, it was decided to promote the international image of Savate, and to break the conception of a "Franco-French" sport. The 4th resolution of the CDI was the creation of continental federations.
The European Federation of Savate will be located in Zagreb in Croatia. I, as President, will contact the various member nations of FIS in order to create and establish the African Federation of Savate, the Asian Federation of Savate, and, the American Federation of Savate. They will not only have the role of implementing the political and sporting life on their continent, but also to establish, develop and structure Savate in the countries not yet having a Savate federation.
I think that this decision has come today because Savate is entering a new era; this initiative taken by our member nations is a sign of it.
Our strength is in our quality:
- The quality of our competitions, as in our last World Combat Championship in Marseilles, generates interest for Savate in countries where training courses have never been held (people discuss it on Internet, on their Websites, and also at competitions of rival sports).
- The quality of our athletes, for whom we start to be called upon for organizations in countries like Japan.
- The quality of our values which has attracted a second American television channel to come this year to make a report (they were at our World Championship in Marseilles) and this, after Korean and Canadian television channels in 2006.
- The quality of our democracy, where we listen attentively to people and their expectations, (in reference to the 2006 Assaut World Championship) which resulted in a commission being set up to further raise standards already envied by other rival sports. The French Federation of Savate, with the approval of their Ministry of sports, has decided to take responsibility for this commission in order to help the FIS it in its move to "pursue quality".
Our unity:
- Unified federations: a single international federation; only one national federation recognised by the FIS in each country, and the requirement that each national federation conforms to the statutes and values of Savate.
- Unity of our competitions: a single world championship title for each weight class, in assaut or in combat, and this... for the whole world!
It is necessary for us to persevere on this route. All is perfectible and improvable; we are open to all proposals to make it an innovative sport. For many people, the development of Savate seems too slow, but I am sure that we can strengthen its international growth which is incontestably already progressing. Even more so as other nations are working toward the objectives of the FIS. Our last world championship showed that Savate and the decisions which need to be made belong to the Savate athletes of the whole world.
The work of the CDI also addressed the need for better communication in the many areas which strengthen Savate:
- Regular international competitions,
- True democracy in the governance of our sport,An integrity in all the components of Savate, whether it be Assaut, Combat, Canne de combat, Savate Forme or Savate Defense.
- This integrity showing that we develop with respect to the values of the Olympic ideal, values which were passed on to us by our predecessors, like Baron de Coubertin, practitioner of Savate at a time when our sport had its place among the Olympic sports.
A better communication should be achieved via our Website.The CDI wishes to develop an attractive site, giving information on activities happening around the whole world. Several people proposed to reflect on it, in order to produce a high quality means of communication within a very limited budget. The Website must be supplemented by Spanish and fed by several nations.
Lastly, the work of the French Federation stirs debates that do not escape our friends in other countries. I was personally challenged at the time of the World Championship in Marseilles on the question of the clothing worn in Savate competitions. Our Canadian friends even brought prototypes of clothing made by "designers" as examples.
Several countries request an international debate on the clothing for Savate. We are reflecting on this; it is necessary for us to give a framework to this reflexion, and to hear all the ideas. The clothing of Savate in competition is part of our image, especially for the international bodies governing sport. Already, through dialogue with Savate friends in other countries, it becomes apparent that:
- The shoe is our reference, therefore essential.
- The athletes must be clothed "from head to foot", in accordance with the Olympic values. i.e. to have a top and a bottom piece of clothing.
- An image of Savate (photo, film) must be perceived immediately as being Savate, and not another sport!.
- The clothing must be elegant for all,
- The clothing must be appealing to wear: if this objective ONLY is achieved... then we will accelerate our development!
I hope, in the near future, to be able to give you some excellent news about the progress of the work in which the CDI has made its commitments.
For that, we need to work hard and in the same direction.
Savate must become a sport recognized by the Olympic movement.
Put Savate back into the place it should never have left!
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