 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
0 Comments
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. I was informed today that, due to personal reasons, staff member Francisco Kuzbard (center of picture) has resigned from his responsibilities with the IRF. Francisco has been a valuable member of our staff for several years, and we would like to take the opportunity to thank him sincerely for all the support given to both the IRF and me personally over the last few years. He has more than exceeded his obligations and was a servant to international racquetball. THANKS FRANCISCO and my best wishes for you both in professional and personal life. Sincerely Osvaldo Maggi IRF - President  April 17, 2018 – Racquetball returns to the World Games! The official Sports Program for The World Games 2021 in Birmingham, Alabama was recently announced at the Annual General Meeting of the International World Games Association (IWGA), which is taking place during the SportAccord summit in Bangkok, Thailand. In total, over 3,600 athletes from more than 100 countries will compete in 30 official sports. This will be the first time The World Games will be in the United States since 1981. “Racquetball and Softball will return to the programme of The World Games,” announced Joachim Gossow, CEO of the IWGA. Racquetball was last played as an official sport at The World Games in 2013 but was one of the inaugural events in 1981, its 40th anniversary. Thirty official sports will be showcased at the multi-sport event, which will be held from 15 to 25 July 2021 in Birmingham, Alabama. ### 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. Media Contact Dr. Tim Baghurst Media and Marketing Director [email protected]
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 17, 2018 – The World Championships to be held later this summer in China are to be relocated, and a new location will be announced soon. Unfortunately, the Chinese governmental permission necessary for the China Racquetball Federation to host the World Championships was delayed, which has resulted in other logistical complications. IRF President Osvaldo Maggi expressed his disappointment. "It is with great sadness that the IRF has made the difficult decision to move the World Championships this summer and delay hosting a tournament in China. We will continue to work with the Asian Racquetball Federation and the China Racquetball Federation with the goal of holding a future IRF event there soon. In the meantime, the Executive Committee is discussing our backup location, and we hope to make an announcement very soon regarding the location of the World Championships in August." ### 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. Media Contact Dr. Tim Baghurst Media and Marketing Director tbaghurst [at] live.com 3/16/2018 0 Comments Pan Am Championship PreviewRead all about the upcoming Pan Am Championships from Pan Am Sports!
2/2/2018 0 Comments Gearbox Sports Signs Agreement with International Racquetball Federation for Official Ball February 2, 2018 – In a landmark announcement made by Gearbox Sports and the International Racquetball Federation (IRF), the Gearbox racquetball was named the “Official Racquetball” of the IRF.
President of IRF Osvaldo Maggi stated, “We are extremely excited to have the Gearbox racquetball as our “Official Ball” as we move into a new era of promoting racquetball around the world. Our recent agreements with The Olympic Channel and Sports Online Productions demonstrate our commitment to making racquetball more entertaining to an online audience. We believe the Gearbox Racquetball will result in longer rallies and will add to the entertainment value of the sport. This sentiment was echoed by Gearbox Sports President Rafael Filippini, “Gearbox is thrilled to join the IRF and combine its efforts to promote racquetball worldwide! Over the past 10 years, the Gearbox team has traveled non-stop, promoting racquetball throughout the U.S.A. at the grass-root level. We have visited hundreds of cities around the nation and met thousands of customers during these visits, either introducing them to racquetball for the first time or simply supporting their love of the game. Now with the IRF platform, The Olympic Channel and Online Productions, our goal is to help showcase racquetball on the world stage. Our commitment to this goal is beyond our ball agreement, Gearbox aims to help grow the sport globally, attract more youth from the various countries to help the sport thrive and continue to support long time racquetball fans! We are looking forward to the new opportunities this union will be bring to the racquetball community.” The Gearbox black ball will be the “Official Ball” of 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. ### 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. Media Contact Dr. Tim Baghurst Media and Marketing Director tbaghurst [at] live.com 11/15/2017 2 Comments International Racquetball Federation Signs Letter of Agreement With Sport Online ProductionsFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 15 November 2017 – The International Racquetball Federation (IRF) has signed an historic agreement with Sport Online Productions (SOP). The agreement, which begins January 1, 2018, was signed by IRF General Secretary Luke St. Onge and CEO of SOP Pablo Fajre. Sport Online Productions is a sport marketing and TV production company that produces and broadcasts racquetball events worldwide in high quality professional format. It owns and operates the World Racquetball Tour (WRT), a professional racquetball tour that produces world-class events, and provides a platform for professional racquetball players to develop their careers and showcase their talents. The agreement allows all WRT events to be sanctioned as international events by the IRF. Further, content from these sanctioned events may be included in content generated for the Olympic Channel. From this new agreement an international ranking system will also be developed that combines results from both IRF and WRT events. Last, WRT athletes will fall under the governance of the IRF’s anti-doping program.
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. Media Contact Dr. Tim Baghurst Media and Marketing Director tbaghurst [at] live.com  FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
9 November 2017 –The International Racquetball Federation’s (IRF) Executive Committee approved and ratified the formation of the German Racquetball Club as the National Governing Body (NGB) of Germany. “We are thrilled to welcome Germany into the IRF,” said Secretary General Luke St. Onge. “German players have been absent from IRF events for the past eight years, and this is a positive step in seeing racquetball grow and flourish both in Germany and all of Europe.” ### 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. Media Contact Dr. Tim Baghurst Media and Marketing Director tbaghurst [at] live.com 9/15/2017 0 Comments September 15th, 2017 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 14, 2017 Schear to Assume IRF Anti-Doping Administrator Role Colorado Springs, CO – Beginning January 1, 2018, Dean Schear will assume the role of International Racquetball Federation Anti-Doping Administrator. In this position, he will also serve as Chair of the Medical Committee. Dr. Tim Baghurst, who has served in this role since 2012, will aid the transition over the coming months. “We’re delighted that Dean has agreed to accept this role, and we look forward to working with him as we become ever more effective in our anti-doping education and testing,” commented IRF General Secretary Luke St. Onge. “Tim Baghurst has been instrumental in moving our Federation forward and ensuring we remain compliant with the World Anti-Doping Agency. During his tenure, he has written our Anti-Doping Code, developed consistent and regular testing at international events, and most recently supervised the development and implementation of a Whereabouts Program with a select group of athletes.” Schear is a familiar figure among IRF staff and athletes. For the past two years, he has served as an official at IRF events. He is also closely tied with the medical profession in New Mexico and Colorado and has the experience necessary to continue the progress that has been made in anti-doping initiatives. ### 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 International Racquetball Federation on Facebook and YouTube, or visit www.internationalracquetball.com. |
IRF Official Blog
The IRF newsfeed covers all things international racquetball including interviews, commentary, and news. Archives
October 2023
Categories |
Search by typing & pressing enter
RSS Feed
