News

For the first time in the 25 year history of ECA Albert Woods OBE was running unopposed for the position of the president of the European Canoe Association. Woods, who has led ECA since its foundation in 1993 is also the honorary life vice-president of the British Olympic Association.

 

 

“This is my life. I have spent a long time building European Canoe Association to the major thing it is right now. The future is very positive but as president Perurena announced earlier there are some big changes for us to overcome about the Olympic programme and we need to focus our attention on that now,” said Woods.

 

 

The next on the agenda of the congress was the selection of the vice president. There were two candidates for the position, candidate of Czech Canoe Union Jaroslav Pollert, who was serving as vice president already in the previous term, and Geir Kvillum from Norway. Pollert received 19 votes to stay in the position, while Kvillum received 13 votes. One vote was not valid.

 

 

Evelina Petrova from Bulgaria was the only candidate for the ECA auditor and was elected to the position.

 

 

There were five candidates for three positions in the ECA Board of Directors. Marta Felpeto Lamas from Spain, Manuela Gawehn from Germany and Andrej Jelenc from Slovenia were running for reelection, and Elena Iskhakova from Russia and Jovana Stanojević from Serbia were new candidates. All three members were elected in the first round. Andrej Jelenc received 31 votes, Jovana Stanojević 21 and Manuela Gawehn 19 votes. As Manuela Gawehn is a member of ICF’s Wildwater Canoeing Committee she withdraw her candidacy for the ECA continental representative in the ICF, so Jovana Stanojević and Andrej Jelenc will join ECA president Albert Woods OBE and ECA secretary general Branko Lovrić as European representatives.

 

 

Following the proposal of the British Canoeing for statute changes, the delegates voted in favour of the motion to limit the number of mandates to three consecutive terms in the office.

 

 

To close the congress delegates were presented the 2019 Minsk European Games, from general overview to more detailed presentation, concerning entries, transportation, canoe sprint venue etc.