IFMA had the great pleasure in taking part in the eighth edition of the annual SportAccord Convention, at the Atlantis - The Palm Hotel in Dubai. The SportAccord Convention is an annual 6-day gathering where International Sports Federations have their organizational meetings, along with the opportunity to meet and network with members of the sporting business community. It also includes the IOC Executive Board meeting, plus the general assembly of the 104 world recognised sports, of which muaythai is one.

Jointly owned by SportAccord/GAISF, and the Summer and Winter Olympic Federations, the event brings together 1500 attendees from around the world and has become the premier networking event for members of the international sporting community wanting to liaise with colleagues, exchange ideas and knowledge, and meet potential new partners from all areas of the sports world. Muaythai has been a member of SportAccord/GAISF since 2006, when the sport was voted by an overwhelming majority into the family.

Dubai with its sub-tropical climate, beautiful beaches and stunning city backdrop was the perfect setting for such an event, and the resort of Atlantis added a luxurious feel to what was an extremely well-organised and highly informative Convention. Keynote speakers included Ian Thorpe, Olympic Swimming Champion; Joseph Blatter, FIFA President; Kofi Annan, former UN Secretary General; and Michel Platini, UEFA President; plus many IOC members and sporting executives.

The SportAccord Convention was a highly successful one for IFMA and we gained much support, interest and enthusiasm for our sport of muaythai. We very much look forward to attending the 2011 SportAccord Convention in London, UK.

Source: http://www.ifmamuaythai.org/HTML/10_0504_WhereSportMeet.html