EDBF President Claudio Schermi inaugural address – 1st January 2018

My fellow Friends of the Dragon Boat Community of Europe,
Happy new year from Kenia, where I’m in holiday with my family and friends.

 

Today after long 5 months transition I’m fully in charge as the new President of the European Dragon Boat Federation.

 

I deeply feel the emotion of this moment.

 

I fully understand the importance and the responsibility of the task which I embrace today.

The EDBF Members clearly made their choice last July at the Congress in France and all together we are very confident in the result of my office.

I look forward for closer ties between all of us in the years ahead.

I want to thank you for your support.

I want to share with you my hope for a sustainable growth of dragon boat in Europe, for a rejuvenation of our sport movement, for the development of always more successful Continental Championship and for the start of the EDBF Euro Series.

I wish also to encourage a continental memorandum of understanding with the European Canoe Association that could be a test for a joint agreement at world level.

I’m pleased to have a great team with me representing the governance of dragon boat in Europe and representing the successful gender equality policy of our sport. We have 4 Vicepresidents, 2, men and 2 women, Peter Jarosi, Peter Klíma, Ute Becker and Kim Beckwith, and 2 women for the offices of Secretary General Julie Doyle and treasurer Maura Dezi.

A great vote of thanks to my predecessor Alan Van Caubergh for the smooth transition and to IDBF President Mike Thomas after my 12 years of service as IDBF Senior Vice President.

Happy new year my friends in sport and see you in Brandenburg for the next European Nation Championships in August.

Claudio Schermi

EDBF President