Within Our Federation
After attending the XIII Olympic Congress, IDSF President Carlos Freitag writes about the role of the IDSF Athletes’ Commission:
One of the main issues discussed during the XIII Olympic Congress related to the role of an athletes’ commission.
Mr Frankie Fredericks, as chairman of the IOC Athletes’ Commission, lectured the congress participants about what is expected from athletes and about what they have to do in order to be more involved and active at all levels in the organisation of every sport.
His lecture emphasised once more that athletes are at the heart of all sports and entitled to full support from clubs, national and international federations and, of course, from the Olympic Movement.
Fredericks confirmed that athletes need to be included within the decision-making structures of a governing body through an Athletes’ Commission, and that they should have full voting rights on the executive board, council or – in our case – the Presidium.
We need to allow our athletes to make major contributions to our sport. We must raise their profile further. All athletes must be encouraged to play an integral and important role in IDSF and in the development of DanceSport.
Another important matter covered in the lecture was the fight against doping. There can be no doubt that this is an absolute priority. We have to fight for zero tolerance, the athletes and their representatives must contribute to ensure that cheating has no place in DanceSport. We all need to maintain the highest ethical standards and ensure that our athletes – as much as our sport – benefit from a collective commitment to fair play at all levels.
It is equally important to consider and protect the physical and mental well-being of our athletes, and specific attention must be given to the athletes with a disability.
Mr Fredericks proposed that the International Federations within the Olympic Movement develop and implement a standard Code of Ethics for the athletes as well as appropriate certification systems to protect the rights of athletes in their relationships with agents, managers and sponsors.
High priority has to be assigned to the development of user-friendly and accessible platforms for athletes to disseminate and share information on a regular basis.
Some of the other recommendations coming out of the 2009 Olympic Congress:
The athletes have to be made aware of what is being done around them and on their behalf.
Sport should be the universal language which unites people and builds bridges towards a brighter future.
The guiding principles for all sports are excellence, friendship and respect. They need to be upheld by the athletes and the officials – always.
An oath taken prior to the championships is hardly sufficient, athletes as well as officials have to work by their respective codes of ethics and conduct, and they have to fight for a clean sport at all times.
