ITF Unveils Agenda to Grow Tennis -- Federations Focus

(ATR)The International Tennis Federation (ITF) is taking a page out of the International Olympic Committee’s playbook.

The IOC has Olympic Agenda 2020 and now the ITF has unveiled a new agenda for long-term sustainable growth that has been dubbed ITF 2024.

The ITF announced the creation of ITF 2024 at its annual conference in Zagreb, Croatia on Wednesday, June 22.

ITF President David Haggerty outlined the ITF’s mission "to develop, grow and promote tennis around the world through good governance, integrity and trust, inclusiveness, innovation, ambition and collaboration."

He told the conference that the federation’s priorities are growing and leading the game by inspiring more people to play, follow and watch tennis and by upholding the sport’s values and integrity.

"It has been important to create a structure to allow us to become a more efficient and effective organization," Haggerty said in a statement.

"ITF 2024 will provide the framework for strategic and sustainable growth over the next eight years, as we work together to strengthen our sport."

Vanuatu Tennis Federation President and Oceania Tennis Federation Vice President Cyrille Mainguy was clearly pleased with the results.

"I’m very optimistic and I think change is always good. Tennis is an old sport but I believe that we should all, every nation, have a say.

"I think now we have a President who is ready to listen to nations, ready to listen to the challenges in our regions and to try to treat regions by regions and nations by nations because we are all different."

Mixed Martial Arts Takes Step towards Recognition

The International Mixed Martial Arts Federation (IMMAF) is seeking acceptance by the World Anti-Doping Agency, the federation’s first step in its path towards Olympic recognition.

The IMMAF introduced its upgraded anti-doping policies in line with the WADA Anti-Doping Code at the beginning of 2015 with the help of consultancy firm Sporting Integrity Ltd. The amateur IMMAF World Championship in July 2015 was the first IMMAF tournament to include in-competition testing. The federation applied for WADA accreditation on Monday.

"As IMMAF is already meeting WADA criteria through its current Anti-doping program, and is in fact pushing boundaries in its stringency, we feel confident in our application and see no valid reason why it should not be accepted," IMMAF chief executive officer Densign White said in a statement.

White says acceptance by WADA would mark a political milestone for the federation.

"IMMAF's application to WADA marks an important step in our work to see the sport of MMA become recognized," White says. "I cannot stress enough how the official acceptance of IMMAF would remove the many existing obstacles to protecting the health and safety of MMA's participants worldwide."

If WADA accepts the IMMAF application the federation would turn its focus to joining SportAccord, the organization that gathers all Summer and Winter International Federations for an annual congress and convention. SportAccord recognition is required before the IOC would consider adding the sport to its ranks of recognized federations.

USA Luge Seeks Future Olympians

The annual USA Luge Slider Search kicks off next month with its first stop in Plattsburgh, New York. Youth athletes ages nine to 13 are invited to attend one of eight free clinics to try their hand at the sport of luge.

Established in 1985, the Slider Search is the primary recruitment initiative for USA Luge where U.S. Olympic and National Team coaches teach participants the basic skills used to ride a luge sled including positioning, steering and stopping.

Since its creation, USA Luge has introduced the sport to more than 22,000 youth in the U.S. and has developed notable Olympic medalists such as Erin Hamlin (Sochi 2014 bronze) and Brian Martin (Nagano 1998 bronze, Salt Lake City 2002 silver).

The athletes who show promise are invited to one of the summer training programs in Lake Placid, New York, Park City, Utah or Muskegon, Michigan where they can try to steer the luge on an ice track. The top athletes identified in the program are chosen to join the development team in 2017.

Most members of the current U.S. Junior National Team were recruited through the Slider Search program.

Written by Gerard Farek and Kevin Nutley

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