Press Release, 20 February 2013
-for immediate release-
Contact: Katrin Holz, Communication Manager, Tel : +44 7718099443, Katrin.Holz@fie.ch
Press Release: FIE Executive Committee confirms qualification system for the 2014 Youth Olympic Games and the 2013 SportAccord World Combat Games
Lausanne, 20 February 2013 – The Executive Committee of the International Fencing Federation (FIE) confirmed the qualification systems for the 2014 Youth Olympic Games in Nanjing (CHN) and the 2013 SportAccord World Combat Games in St-Petersburg (RUS) during its session in Lausanne this weekend.
78 fencers age 15 - 17 will have the opportunity to compete in six individual events in this second edition of the 2014 Youth Olympic Games. The main qualification tournament will be the Cadet World Championships in April 2014.
At the second edition of the SportAccord World Combat Games in St-Petersburg, fencing will participate with 96 top athletes in total, nominating 16 participants in each of the six disciplines.
“We are proud that fencing makes its first appearance on the programme of the SportAccord
World Combat Games and believe that these innovative games provide a real opportunity for marketing our sport,” said Frédéric Pietruszka, Secretary General of the FIE.
Further decisions of the FIE Executive Committee concerned the participation of fencers from India in FIE competitions and the inclusion of fencing in the European Games. While the Indian NOC is still under the suspension of the IOC the FIE decided after consultation with the IOC to allow Indian athletes to take part - under the FIE banner - in competitions under the aegis of the FIE. The FIE Executive Committee is favourable to including fencing on the programme of the first European Games in 2015.
Also during the Executive Committee session, the FIE received the application of Bulgaria to host the 2014 Junior and Cadet World Championships in Plovdiv.
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About the FIE:
The International Fencing Federation (FIE - Fédération internationale d'escrime) is the international governing body for the Olympic sport of fencing. The FIE is based Lausanne, Switzerland. Currently, the FIE has 148 affiliated member federations.
For further information on the FIE please visit www.fie.org or follow us on Twitter @fie_en.