The structure and processes for the re-establishment of the Athletes’ Commission and for the athletes’ Board election process was unanimously approved by the World ParaVolley Board of Directors during its meeting held on Monday.
Photo: USA’s Katie Holloway (left) has been one of the key protagonists behind the new World ParaVolley Athletes Commission
Women’s Olympic champion Katie Holloway (USA) and Croatia men’s captain Ivan Cosic were special observers for the meeting as they have been leading the Athletes Commission process.
“I am very satisfied with the engagement level from athletes around the world,” Holloway told the Board. “Athletes have been polled with 24 nations replying. The decision was to elect the Athletes’ Commission first then choose the voting World ParaVolley board members from amongst the elected athletes. The engagement level is there and that’s the critical part in making the process work in the right way.”
Click here for the Athletes Commission Regulations
World ParaVolley President Barry Couzner told Holloway and Cosic “we are looking forward to working with you and entering a new era together with more genuine athlete involvement and engagement than in the past. To have 24 countries respond to the survey is very encouraging for the future and very positive.”
The aims of the Athletes Commission is to regularly communicate with current and past World ParaVolley athletes and to have athlete views represented in World ParaVolley discussions. Two members of the Commission, one from each gender, will serve as voting members of the World ParaVolley Board of Directors.
“This is just the beginning of a process to have more active engagement of athletes in our Organisation – they have their experience to contribute,” Couzner added.
The Athletes’ Commission will be comprised of a chairperson via election by the members of the Athletes’ Commission, five members, at least one from each of the Zones via election by the current players of that Zone (all four Zones to be represented and the fifth person shall be the one with the next highest number of votes) and up to two additional members co-opted by the Commission to represent the two ParaVolley disciplines of strategic focus: Sitting Volleyball and Beach ParaVolley (Standing).
Elections for the Athletes’ Commission will be held in the year of the World Championships i.e. 2018, 2022, 2026 with elected and co-opted members of the Commission serving a four-year term. The maximum number of cycles of four years that a person may serve on the Commission is three.
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