NEWS RELEASE (#2025-08)
Expression of Interest for Appointment of Two Female Paddlers to the IDBF Athletes Commission
The International Dragon Boat Federation (IDBF) is seeking nominations for the appointment of two (2) female Premier paddlers to serve as appointed members of the IDBF Athletes Commission, in accordance with the procedure outlined in Clause 12 of the Athletes Commission Regulations.
This call for nominations is made in the context of the upcoming 17th IDBF World Dragon Boat Racing Championships, which will be held at the Regatta Venue Beetzsee, Brandenburg an der Havel, Germany, from 14th to 20th July 2025. The IDBF Athletes Commission will be announced during the Championships.
Commission Composition
- Up to five (5) active athletes elected by their peers;
- Up to two (2) additional active athletes appointed by the IDBF President, in consultation with the Commission Chair, to ensure the Commission remains at a total of seven (7) members.
To promote gender balance and fair representation, and in light of the fact that all current candidates for election are male, the IDBF has resolved to appoint two Premier women paddlers as appointed members.
Eligibility Criteria
- Nominees must be Active Premier Women Athletes, having competed or intending to compete in the IDBF World Championships in 2024 or 2025.
- Nominees must be members of the IDBF Member Federation of their country of residence.
- Each nomination must be formally endorsed by the respective IDBF Member Federation.
- Nominees must not belong to a country that already has a member serving on the Commission (Germany, Canada, UAE, Hong Kong, USA).
How to Nominate
Member Federations are invited to submit:
- A brief sporting CV or athlete profile of the nominee;
- A letter of endorsement from the Member Federation.
All nominations must be sent to the IDBF Secretary General at general-secretary@dragonboat.sport no later than Sunday, 6th July 2025 (23:59 UTC).
Reference Documents
- IDBF Statutes and Bye-Laws (Edition 10.2)
- IDBF Athletes Commission Regulations and Election Procedure (26 July 2019)
Election Committee
The appointment process is overseen by the IDBF Election Committee, composed of:
- Claudio Schermi – IDBF President
- Peter Tang – IDBF General Secretary
- Sue Holloway – Chair of the Athletes Commission
We encourage all eligible female Premier athletes to participate in this important process and help shape the future of international dragon boat racing.
Peter Tang
IDBF General Secretary
About the IDBF
The International Dragon Boat Federation (IDBF) is the global governing body for dragon boat racing. Founded in 1991, it oversees and promotes the sport of dragon boat paddling across the world. With a mission to foster unity, friendship, and fair competition, the IDBF organises multiple international world championships, sets rules and standards for dragon boat racing and equipment, and has a membership base of over 80 national federations.