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Jorge Alves (POR) joins the IKF Executive Committee

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The Council of the International Korfball Federation has appointed Mr Jorge Alves as a Member of the IKF Executive Committee and Chair of the IKF Development and Education Committee. Mr Alves fills the vacancy left earlier this year following the resignation of Mr Kevin Allen (ENG). Mr Alves has been appointed by the Council until the next General Meeting of the IKF in November 2021, when the position is up for election.

Jorge Alves is a seasoned korfball developer, coach, referee, and coaching and refereeing instructor. He has had a very long and extensive career as an international referee, including having refereed at 5 World Championships, 3 World Games and 18 finals of major events. Apart from this, he has also been coach of multiple teams in the Portuguese Korfball League, and of the national team of Brazil. As an educator, he has taught both referee and coach courses in Portugal and internationally. He is very familiar with both grassroots and elite development of korfball.

Jorge Alves: My passion for Korfball started on the day I first came across our sport, more than 30 years ago, and it has been increasing until today. The fundaments and values of korfball were and are the basis of my dedication and commitment, trying over the years to formally and informally contribute so that this sport develops and is recognized worldwide. I take this new challenge with the conviction I will count on the support and collaboration of korfball friends who share this passion and that we can all work together to spread our amazing sport and its values around the globe.

Jan Fransoo, IKF President: With Jorge Alves, the IKF is fortunate to onboard a seasonal korfball development professional that will give a further impetus to the growth of our sport. In our current strategic cycle, the focus is on strengthening our membership base and national federations, and Jorge will be invaluable given his extensive experience and vast network. Moreover, in the education field, Covid-19 has pulled us into the digital education world, and Jorge will play a leading role to further develop this beyond the period of the pandemic.

Mario Almeida, FPC President: Jorge Alves, over dozens of years dedicated to korfball, has performed functions and activities, both nationally and internationally, including in IKF bodies, namely training and development in the four corners of the globe, which has given him a rich experience, including from realities and cultures, very important for the direction of the development.

With the appointment of Alves, the IKF Executive Committee is again fully gender-balanced with three males and three females on board.

IKF Erasmus+ Sport Grant 2021

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The IKF is proud to announce that its Erasmus+ Sport 2021 application has been selected for funding by the European Commission. The project has a duration of 1 year and will start in January 2021.

The Erasmus+ project helps national korfball federations to strengthen their organisation. During multiple sessions, they will follow a step-by-step method to identify their main goals, challenges and opportunities, as well as ideas to address those. This will lead to a development- and action plan to increase korfball participation in their korfball communities. They will involve the local clubs in this process so that those can assist in the practical implementation of the plans. Furthermore, all partners will organise youth korfball activities, to kick-off the practical implementation of their plans.

The partners of the project are SWISS Korfball, Polish Korfball Association, Federation Korfbal France, All-Ukrainian Korfball Federation and Slovak Korfball Association. There are options to include more European national korfball federations in this project if there is an interest for this. IKF Europe members that are interested to hear more about this project and possibly get involved as well are encouraged to contact us at office@ikf.org.

Vacancy: Chair IKF Development and Education Committee

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The International Korfball Federation seeks applications for the position of

 

Chair of the IKF Development and Education Committee and Member of the IKF Executive Committee

(volunteer position; up to 10 hours per week)

 

The International Korfball Federation’s development mission is to enable anyone in the world to play our mixed-gender team sport whenever and wherever they want. As a mixed-gender sport, we believe in the values of equality and opportunity, while the competitive game is seen as a target to aim for the best possible performance and international participation.

The development strategy for the next quadrennial aims at working with our 40 strongest national organisations among the current 70 members, in order to increase participation numbers, level of competition, and organisational strength. In addition, the remaining 30 young countries need basic developmental support. For this, the IKF, together with key partners such as the national korfball associations of the Netherlands, Belgium, and Chinese Taipei, and with financial assistance from the International Olympic Committee, runs a development and education program. This program is coordinated by the IKF Development and Education Committee.

Responsibilities

The Chair of the IKF Development and Education Committee, within the overall IKF Strategy, operationalises the development strategy and executes the development. Execution includes the administrative running of the program, including matters such as organising the call for project proposals, allocation and monitoring of projects, measuring and reporting on key performance indicators. Furthermore, the Chair leads the DEC team with members from across all continents. Using virtual meetings, the Chair inspires and leads the committee members, en helps them being successful in their continent. Within the DEC, a specific Coaching education team leads the development and innovation of korfball coaching courses worldwide.

Further, the DEC Chair is a Member of the IKF Executive Committee and hence shares responsibility for the overall decision making and management of the IKF.

Duties include:

  • Organising, planning, and monitoring of the IKF Development Program
  • Strategic planning of and reporting on the IKF Development Program
  • Aligning with key stakeholders, such as donors and beneficiaries of the program, and member organisations of the IKF
  • Seeking of funds and applying for grants to enlarge the size and impact of the IKF Development Program
  • Developing the IKF education program, including organising the course calendar, developing online education, and developing a global network of qualified instructors

Requirements:

  • Passion for mixed-gender team sports
  • Global orientation
  • Experience with sports development, ideally in korfball or a similar team sport
  • Excellent communication skills
  • Well-organized and meticulous
  • Advanced level of English, and ideally one or two additional global languages

Benefits:

  • Be part of the future development of korfball, and have a major influence on its course of development
  • Be part of all key decisions of the International Korfball Federation
  • Be able to develop a wonderful network of passionate sports developers across the globe
  • Expenses covered in accordance with the IKF reimbursement policies
  • Invitations to all IKF events

Position

The membership of the IKF Executive Committee is an elected position by the General Meeting of the IKF. Elections will be held in November 2021. Prior to this, the selected candidate will be co-opted as a full member of the IKF Executive Committee. Given the current background of the members in the IKF Executive Committee and IKF Council, candidates from the A-countries (Netherlands, Belgium, and Chinese Taipei) are not eligible for this position.

Following the IKF Statutes, a candidate needs to be (or become) a member of a national organisation that is a full member of the IKF. Associate Members may not propose candidates for the Membership of the IKF Executive Committee.

The position is a voluntary position and does not entail any salary or indemnification. Out-of-pocket expenses are covered insofar as needed to conduct the work.

Information

If you would like more information about this position, please contact the CEO of the IKF, Mr Tilbert La Haye (Tilbert.la.haye@ikf.org), or the Secretary General of the IKF Ms Joana Faria (joana.faria@ikf.org ).

Applications

Applications should include a detailed resume and a motivation letter, and should be sent to the IKF Office office@ikf.org . Review of applications will start on September 15, 2020, and continue until the position has been filled.