3rd October 2018: The EHF Executive Board met for the first time following the elections at the 29th General Assembly in Amsterdam in August in the EHF’s office in Brussels on 29th and 30th September.
The EHF President, Marijke Fleuren, welcomed the members with a special welcome to the new Board members. She began the meeting by thanking the KNHB for all their work at the Rabo EuroHockey Championships, remarking upon not only the success on the field of play but also all the side events, particularly the Euro ParaHockey Championships and the Youth Leadership Festival.
The new Board received the following reports:
Communications: Simon Mason (Chair) presented the report outlining the recent launch of the www.eurohockeytv.org platform, the performance of our social media channels and the focus going forward.
Competitions: Walter Kapounek (Chair) and David Voskamp (Competitions Manager) reported on the recent completed EuroHockey Championships (Nations) and the Clubs Tournaments held earlier in the year.
The Club outdoor venues were confirmed and the recommendation from the Outdoor Committee of the EHCC 2018 host was also approved.
The Board also received a report with recommendations following the unfortunate events at the EuroHockey Junior Championships in Valencia. Full details about the Executive Board’s decision will be published in a separate bulletin.
A report was received regarding suggested updates to the Regulations.
EHL: Angus Kirkland updated the Board on last season’s success and the venues for the coming years. Angus also reported on the ongoing discussions to preserve EHL within the global events calendar.
Development: Carola Meyer (Chair) reported on the recent activities of the Development Committee, particularly Twinning, Youth and Parahockey. The Development Projects Committee will hold its next meeting on October 15th focusing on the final plans for 2018.
Education: Inez Cooper (Chair) presented reports from all three working groups: umpiring, coaching and officiating, particularly all their activities over the summer. The Education Committee will hold its next meeting on October 14th focusing on the final plans for 2018.
Director General’s Report: Angus Kirkland (Director General) gave a report starting with a review of the Strategic Plan 2017-2024 that was launched in Dubai last November. He then went on to outline the Operations Plan for 2018 and how this ties into the Strategic Plan. The Operations Plan will be finalized in October ahead of the FIH Continental Federations meeting in November.
Angus then presented a commercial update and the plans and opportunities across Media Rights, Advertising, Partnerships and Agency (Government) funding. Angus updated the Board on the streaming platform highlighting that since its launch in mid-August, it had been well received with 25,000 registered members. The platform will be used for EHL Rd 1 next week and work is underway to encourage our Member Nations to use the platform to help build the community and grow the content output.
New Committee Approach: The President presented a proposal for a revised committee structure which was approved by the Board. Terms of Reference for the committees will be updated and the nomination process and information will be sent out to National Associations at the end of October.
FIH Report: Walter Kapounek and Peter Elders updated the Board on their recent and future meetings with the FIH Committees. Walter is on the FIH Competitions Committee, with Peter sitting on the Rules Board. The President (who is on the FIH Board) also updated the EHF Board on her recent meetings with the FIH.
Hon. Treasurer’s Report: Mika Rihtila (Hon.Treasurer) presented his report of accounts to date in 2017 and an updated forecast for 2018. He also presented a proposal for some changes in software and administration procedures used by the EHF to process its finances and accounts.
Appointments: Angus Kirkland presented the report of the Appointments Committee. The committee will hold its next meeting on October 7th.
Disciplinary Commissioner: The Board received a report from the Disciplinary Commissioner, with a proposal to review the fining system.
The President thanked the Board for the lively discussions and contributions.