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1/19/2019 0 Comments ACODEPA MEETingThe Association of Pan American Sports Confederations (ACODEPA) Board met for the first time separate from the PASO GENERAL ASSEMBLY in Miami to discuss the future of the sport in the Americas. Luke St. Onge, Secretary General of Pan American Racquetball Confederation is a member of the ACODEPA Board of Directors. Topics included: Future Pan Am Games, Pan Am Youth Games, and Pan Am Beach Games. PASO has changed its name from PASO to Pan American Sports as part of the major restructuring of sport in the Americas. The 2019 edition of the Pan Am Games will take place in Lima Peru with opening ceremonies on July 26 Racquetball will be a full medal sport as part of the program. They are building three new courts in addition to the existing, racquetball will have 5 Racquetball courts one of which is a four-wall glass exhibition court. Country qualifying will take place at the Pan American Racquetball Championships slated for April 15 to 21 in Barranquilla, Colombia. 
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12/5/2018 0 Comments End Of Year ReviewDear Racquetball Friends,
I'd like to provide this end-of-year update on the International development of racquetball since we last met. The 2018 World Seniors Racquetball Championships was extremely successful with 17 countries competing. A donation in the amount of $10,000 was made towards the Olympic Dream and international enhancement of our sport. The XXX IRF World Junior Championships were held at La Loma Centro Deportivo in San Luis Potosí, Mexico, featuring 200 young athletes from 12 countries. It was highly successful. New courts are being built in Canada, Mexico, Costa Rica, and Peru. The 2019 World Junior Racquetball Championships were awarded to Costa Rica and the City of San José. This event has the full support of the Costa Rica National Olympic Committee, the Government of Costa Rica, the Sports Authority of Costa Rica as well as the city of San José. Four new courts will be built to supplement the existing four courts at the venue. In Guatemala, new courts are all but finished, bringing 10 beautiful glass courts to support the development of racquetball. We anticipate that this excellent venue will host many International and regional events in the future. The City of Barranquilla, Colombia, was awarded the 2019 Pan American Racquetball Championships to be held Easter week in April. The four-court facility is part of the legacy from the Central American Caribbean Games held this year. This event is the final qualifying event for the Pan American Games to be held in July 2019 in Lima, Peru. Final arrangements have been made for racquetball's inclusion as a full medal sport in the 2019 Pan American Games Lima. Four new glass courts, one of which is four-wall glass, will be built for the competition. Sixty athletes will qualify via the Pan American Racquetball Championships as mentioned above. A planning meeting was held in October for the sports to be competed in The World Games in Birmingham, Alabama, USA. Racquetball will have 32 athletes in singles. A four-wall glass court will be brought to Birmingham for the competition to be held in July of 2021. The IOC will be in attendance to evaluate Racquetball for future Olympic Programs. We hope you find this news exciting and encouraging, and we offer our heartfelt thanks for your continued support and commitment to Racquetball. I know you have all heard this many times, but without your support, the IRF cannot continue to develop racquetball towards the Olympic Program. As 2018 comes to a close, we ask each of you to please consider a tax-deductible donation to the International Racquetball Federation and/or perhaps let your racquetball colleagues know of this year-end appeal. Donations can be made on our website at www.internationalracquetball.com or sent to our head office at 1631 Mesa Avenue, Suite A-1, Colorado Springs, CO 80906, USA. Warm regards, Luke St. Onge Secretary General International Racquetball Federation FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA: Ciudad Deportiva de Hatillo, Costa Rica, will host the XXXI IRF Junior World Junior Championships, 9 to 16 November 2019. Hatillo has seen significant growth in racquetball participation over the past few years which has led the Municipality of San José, in conjunction with the San José Sports and Recreation Cantonal Committee (CCDR SJ), to present a proposal to the International Racquetball Federation to host the event next year. The idea was enthusiastically supported by the Federación Costarricense de Racquetball (FECORA), its president, Marcelo Gomez, and president of the CCDR San José, Heiner Ugalde. "We had an opportunity to meet with representatives of the International Racquetball Federation during the IRF World Junior Championships last week in San Luis Potosí, Mexico,” said Ugalde. “They gave us the opportunity to host the tournament next year, which makes us happy and motivated. We know that it will have a positive impact on our Hatillo athletes, the National Team, and the sport in general. Today, we are breaking the paradigm that Racquetball is not for one group but for everyone." Ciudad Deportiva de Hatillo currently has four courts, but four more will be built to comply with the requirements of the International Racquetball Federation. Two will become show courts, and a dressing room area will also be constructed. The works department of the CCDR SJ is already beginning on the project, and it is expected to be completed by July 2019. The Mayor of the Municipality of San José, Eng. Johnny Araya, also expressed his support. "For the Municipality of San José, it is truly an honor that our Capital will once again host a sporting event of international importance, such as the XXXI IRF World Junior Racquetball Championships. This helps to solidify that, in addition to the 2013 Central American Games, the city is recognized as a host for elite sports.” FECORA also celebrated that Hatillo will host the World Championship event because in recent years it has seen great growth of its racquetball school and will benefit from the addition of more courts. "Nobody used to know about Racquetball in Hatillo,” said FECORA President Marcelo Gomez. “But today the reality is different thanks to the work they have done there. Having more courts is not a whim; it is a necessity due to the number of players who wish to learn and then compete in the sport. Thanks to the Hatillo players' participation, our junior team has grown. For example, four years ago Hatillo contributed only two players to the team, but this year there were 17." The World Junior Championships include age categories from 10 to 18. Age categories 14, 16, and 18 compete for the overall World Cup title, and the 10 and 12 categories compete for the Esprit Cup title. A Challenger Cup is open to participants in all age divisions who did not qualify for their countries in other categories. Click here for an interview with Marcelo Gomez. Photo Credit: Marcelo Gomez
About the IRF The International Racquetball Federation is the international governing body of the sport of racquetball under the auspices of the International Olympic Committee. Founded in 1979, the IRF provides governance, rules, and leadership to its 83 national federation members. A member of GAISF beginning in 1980 and recognized by the IOC in 1985, the IRF offers three events annually and one, the IRF World Championships, biennially. It is the international umbrella organization for racquetball over the Olympic Chain of events such as the Pan American Games, World Games, Central American Games, Central American and Caribbean Games, and IRF Regional competitions. Social Media Find the IRF on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, or visit www.internationalracquetball.com. The official invitation to the Junior World Championships is available here. 
Here's a great article about the McBrides and their experiences at the Senior World Championships. Jack McBride was a long-time member of the IRF Executive Committee. Read the article here. Photo credit: JEFF HANSEN/St. Albert Gazette  FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
New and Returning Members Elected to IRF Board Colorado Springs, CO – During the recent International Racquetball Federation World Congress, five individuals were elected or re-elected to the IRF Board of Directors to serve four-year terms. The IRF would like to thank them for their service. They include: María Renée Rodríquez (Guatemala) - Athlete Representative Yuni Cobb (United States of America) - Women’s Development Vice President Estuardo Wer (Guatemala) - Regional Vice President, Central American/Caribbean Aisling Hickey (Ireland) - Regional Vice President, Europe Miguel Perea (Mexico) - Regional Vice President, North America August 22, 2018 – During the International Racquetball Federation (IRF) World Championships that recently concluded, athletes participated in anti-doping training. The training, led by IRF Secretary General Luke St. Onge, covered a variety of topics associated with the rules and regulations that the IRF must follow to remain compliant with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). Topics included the Whereabouts Program, Therapeutic Use Exemptions (TUEs), and general education to train and educate athletes on anti-doping. Attendance at the event exceeded 90% of the athletes registered to compete in the World Championships, and content was provided in both English and Spanish. “We were really delighted to see how many athletes attended the event and recognized the importance of anti-doping in our sport,” said St. Onge. “Anti-doping is a crucial component of international racquetball. Compliance is necessary in order to remain an International Olympic Committee recognized sport, and we want to ensure that competition is equal and fair. Education helps to eliminate some of the potential mistakes athletes might make in their nutrition and decision-making with respect to choosing supplements, for example.” Following an extensive evaluation of anti-doping policies and procedures, the IRF was recently approved by WADA as compliant. The IRF regularly tests its athletes at international events in addition to out-of-competition testing.
About the IRF
The International Racquetball Federation is the international governing body of the sport of racquetball under the auspices of the International Olympic Committee. Founded in 1979, the IRF provides governance, rules, and leadership to its 83 national federation members. A member of GAISF beginning in 1980 and recognized by the IOC in 1985, the IRF offers three events annually and one, the IRF World Championships, biennially. It is the international umbrella organization for racquetball over the Olympic Chain of events such as the Pan American Games, World Games, Central American Games, Central American and Caribbean Games, and IRF Regional competitions. Social Media Find the IRF on Facebook YouTube, or visit www.internationalracquetball.com. 6/26/2018 0 Comments E-Force Signs Agreement with International Racquetball Federation for Official RacquetJune 26, 2018 – In a significant announcement made by E-Force and the International Racquetball Federation (IRF), E-Force was named the “Official Racquet” of the IRF. According to Ron Grimes, owner of E-Force, the decision to continue supporting the IRF and its focus on international growth was an easy one. “As racquetball’s racquet technology leader, E-Force is excited to extend its over 12-year International Racquetball Federation sponsorship. E-Force is committed to growing racquetball internationally. The IRF, with its efforts towards this shared goal, is the perfect partner.” E-Force has been a longtime supporter of international racquetball, and IRF Secretary General Luke St. Onge was delighted with the outcome of this agreement. “We have been working with E-Force to grow racquetball internationally for many years,” he said, “and we’re happy and excited to see Ron and his company continue supporting international racquetball as the Official Racquet of the Federation.” E-Force will be the “Official Racquet” for all IRF World and Continental tournaments in addition to the Olympic chain of events including the Pan American Games, South American Games, Central American Caribbean Games, and World Games.   A very special greeting to the international racquetball family!
The IRF officially confirms that the 2018 IRF World Championships will be competed in the city of San José, Costa Rica, August 10-19, 2018. This is the first time in my many years as a leader that the IRF has had to change the venue of the IRF World Championships. In 2018, for different reasons, multiple venues that have found they could not host the World Championships. When China met challenges as intended host of this year's World Championships, Juan Manuel Gutiérrez of Cali, Colombia, came forward to host. I wish to share what happened in the city of Cali, Colombia, where I worked closely with Sr. Gutiérrez. For many days, he was told that he needed to improve and maintain security at the courts. However, we really never felt security was an issue. On the very day that Sr. Gutiérrez was waiting for the final meeting to authorize going ahead with hosting the World Championships, the eight courts where we have enjoyed so many great IRF and PARC tournaments were being secretly demolished. We deeply regret the situation in which Sr. Gutiérrez has been placed. Under his leadership, we are sure that we will soon be able to return to Cali to compete at new facilities that will undoubtedly be created. Just three days after this devastating news, the IRF was given the opportunity to hold the World Championships in both Costa Rica and Bolivia. This is thanks to the efforts of Marcelo Gómez from Costa Rica and Gonzalo Alcoreza from Bolivia. My sincere thanks to both and to their Federations for taking charge of a difficult situation and offering to organize a World Championships in just two months. We have decided on Costa Rica as the venue. One of the main reasons for this is that some countries and IRF staff had already purchased their flights to Cali, and rebooking tickets to Costa Rica is easier and less expensive than to Bolivia. In the face of these unexpected difficulties, the IRF and I appreciate your patience and support. We will work hard to ensure that the World Championships are a success, and we look forward to seeing you in San José. With sincere regards, Osvaldo Maggi President International Racquetball Federation June 14, 2018 Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA -- The IRF World Championships to be held later this summer at Club Cañasgordas in Cali, Colombia is to be relocated, and a new location will be announced soon. Unfortunately, the host club in Colombia unexpectedly demolished their racquetball and squash courts, which necessitates a change in venue. The venue was the host of numerous IRF-sanctioned events including the 2013 World Games, 2014 Junior World Championships, and 2016 World Championships. IRF Secretary General Luke St. Onge expressed his disappointment. "This is obviously distressing news for both the IRF and for the Colombian Federation, both of whom worked very hard to try and stop the host venue’s decision. However, we do have an alternate location willing and able to host the World Championships on short notice and hope to make a formal announcement within the next few days. We offer our appreciation to Juan Manuel Gutierrez, the Federación Colombiana de Racquetball, and the Colombian racquetball players for the many wonderful memories of excellently hosted events in Cali over the years."  About the IRF
The International Racquetball Federation is the international governing body of the sport of racquetball under the auspices of the International Olympic Committee. Founded in 1979, the IRF provides governance, rules, and leadership to its 83 national federation members. A member of GAISF beginning in 1980 and recognized by the IOC in 1985, the IRF offers three events annually and one, the IRF World Championships, biennially. It is the international umbrella organization for racquetball over the Olympic Chain of events such as the Pan American Games, World Games, Central American Games, Central American and Caribbean Games, and IRF Regional competitions. Social Media Find the IRF on Facebook, YouTube, or visit www.internationalracquetball.com. |
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