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Basque Championship of Racquetball (Doubles) 2024

On March 27, the Basque Association of Beach Tennis and Minority Sports, the Racquetball section, organized the II Basque Racquetball Championship (Doubles). The last tournament we did was in December of last year. Then some members of the association go together to play a new individual tournament. This time we played the following players: Daniel Barrientos, Alain Ibañez de Opakua, Andoni Mariezkurrena, Egoitz Campo, Joseba Zubiaurre, Jon Ander Gil, Jan Dabi Romero and Axel Pernett.

This time we met again at the San Ignacio Municipal Sports Center in Bilbao. We stayed there because at the moment in Bizkaia there is no Racquetball court built, nor any court that has similar dimensions. However, in Oñati (Gipuzkoa) there is a field with very similar dimensions, and possibly the II. Basque Racquetball Championship (individual) that we want to organize in July or August we will do it there. In this tournament, last Wednesday we played two rounds: semifinals and the second round; match for 3rd and 4th place and the grand final; obviously after making 4 even pairs.

Egoitz and Daniel won their two matches and won the tournament; proving to be the most regular couple. Andoni and Axel came in second place. Finally, I would like to say that although it is difficult, we will try to build a court, but the Oñati court opens up a new horizon for us that is certainly positive. If every thing goes well in July or August we will go to the Oñati court to play the individual tournament of this II. Basque Championship. Here are the results of the II. Basque Racquetball Championship (Doubles):

Results

 Semifinals

Egoitz Campo/Daniel Barientos 2-1 Alain I./Jan Dabi Romero (11-8, 7-11, 11-9)

Andoni Mariezkurrena/ Axel Pernett 2-0 Joseba Zubiaurre/Jon Ander Gil (11-5, 11-6)

Match for 3º y 4º position

 Alain I./Jan Dabi Romero  2-0 Joseba Zubiaurre/ Jon Ander Gil (11-4,8-11, 11-7)

Final

Egoitz Campo/Daniel Barrientos 2-1 Andoni Mariezk./ Axel Pernett(11-7, 8-11 11-9)

Classification of the II. Basque Championship of Racquetball (Doubles)

1-Egoitz Campo (Basque Country) / Daniel Barrientos (Basque Country)

2-Andoni Mariezkurrena (Basque Country) / Axel Pernett (Colombia)

3-Alain Ibañez de Opakua (Basque Country) / Jan Dabi Romero (Basque Country)

4-Joseba Zubiaurre (Basque Country) / Jon Ander Gil (Basque Country)

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IRF World Senior Racquetball Championships 2024

PRESS RELEASE

FOR INMEDIATE RELEASE MARCH 25, 2024

MALIBU, California, March 25, 2024 – National Masters Racquetball Association President Cindy Tilbury, today announced that, for the first time ever, the 2024 NMRA International Racquetball Championships will be a combined tournament with the International Racquetball Federation World Senior Racquetball Championships.  The joint tournament will be held in Lombard (Chicago), Illinois at the famous Glass Court Racquet & Fitness Club, and the date of the event will be July 25-28, 2024.  Gary Mazaroff of the IRF will be co-tournament director with Cindy Tilbury from the NMRA.  Live streaming of selected matches will be offered on New Mexico Racquetball Facebook and National MastersRB Facebook page.

Both the NMRA and IRF are dedicated to providing social, competitive racquetball to senior and master racquetball players around the world.

General background on international racquetball and specifically for 40+ -year-old players

  • Racquetball’s World Team Championships will be held this year August 24-31 in San Antonio, Texas (USA). It is the first time staged in the USA since 1996 in Phoenix.
  • Historically, countries from five continents have been represented.
  • In addition to the World Championship menu under IRF, Racquetball has been part of the World Games (first time in 1981 in Santa Clara, CA USA); and next year will be included in Chengdu, China. Other countries having included racquetball in the World Games include England, Netherlands, Taiwan, and Colombia.
  • Racquetball is also part of the Pan-Am Games; held every four years (last time in 2023 in Santiago, Chile).
  • It is estimated that there are currently 5 million racquetball players worldwide.
  • Over the past decade, there has been significant growth in the sport in the Western Hemisphere, especially in the countries of Bolivia, Guatemala, Mexico, and Costa Rica.

International Racquetball Federation 40th World Senior Racquetball Championship Background

  • The inaugural year of the World Senior Racquetball Championships was 1985.There were 91 players registered.
  • In 1991, there were 403 participants.
  • Until this year, the tourney was in New Mexico.
  • Singles, same-gender doubles, and mixed doubles are offered. Squash 57 (racquetball racquet/softer, larger ball offered on a squash court) is a recent addition.
  • The International Racquetball Federation (IRF) includes World Seniors Racquetball Championships as one of its starship events; and is the single-most-important fundraiser for its ‘Development Fund’ over $500,000 has been raised on behalf of this event since 1989.
  • IRF events draw many Spanish-speaking players.
  • Over 40 countries and all US States have been represented in this event.
  • Gearbox Black is the official racquetball of the IRF. This ball will be used in the combined competition.

IRF website is here.  www.internationalracquetball.com

National Masters Racquetball Association Events Background

  • The NMRA started in New Castle, Pennsylvania, in 1971 when 11 racquetball friends got tired of traveling to tournaments and losing in the first round. They created a round-robin event as a small invitational.
  • Now, in its 53rd year, the two tournaments per year are intentionally moved around the country to attract first-time NMRA players from local pockets of racquetball enthusiasts, as well as to showcase private and corporate racquetball venues.
  • Initially, only men’s divisions were offered, then doubles and women’s divisions were added in the 1980s.
  • Pro Penn Green is the official racquetball of the NMRA.

NMRA website is here.  www.nmra.info  (See Tournaments tab for upcoming events.)

Gary Mazaroff stated that “the national and international tournament calendar was very full this year so it made sense to consider a merger of the two senior/master round-robin events into one big gathering.”

“Combining the two organizations’ events will add a greater international flavor for the National Masters players, and introduce IRF World Seniors players to a new area of the country.  We are excited to merge the two tournaments to create a great event for our traveling tournament player.  We will also look at continuing on this path into the future,” commented Cindy Tilbury, who has been the NMRA President and main tournament director for the past ten years.

Full information and registration links can be found here.  https://www.r2sports.com/tourney/display/tourney.asp?TID=41788

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Both the International Racquetball Federation and the National Masters Racquetball Association are non-profit 501c3 corporations.  All donations are fully tax-deductible and greatly appreciated.

For more information on National Masters Racquetball, please contact Cindy Tilbury, NMRA President, at cindy.tilbury@att.net.  Gary Mazaroff is the current Rules Commissioner, Tournament Director, and Livestream Coordinator for the IRF.  His contact information is gmampro@gmail.com.

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RACQUETBALL STAR CONRRADO MOSCOSO WINS THE WORLD GAMES ATHLETE OF THE YEAR AWARD

(From International World Games Association website, visit on www.theworldgames.org)

Huge congratulations to Bolivia’s Conrrado Moscoso for securing the title of The World Games Athlete of the Year 2023!
In the final round, Bolivia’s Racquetball star ended up winning with an amazing total of 75,389 votes, defeating Luisa Rizzo (ITA) from Air Sports who came second with a total number of votes of 55,834.

Moscoso (28), and Rizzo (21), led the race from the start of the final round, and were very close going into the final 24 hours. They have left third and fourth places to Germany’s Marius-Andrei Balan (33) and Khrystyna Moshenska (34), nominated in the Latin dance discipline, from the DanceSport category and Ju-Jitsu ace Faisal Al Ketbi (36), from UAE.

The German dancers, performing together since 2015, collected 43,560 votes, while Faisal Al Ketbi, The World Games 2017 gold medallist, recorded 36,824 votes.

Once again with this yearly award there has been an equal distribution of votes, showcasing a very balanced gender representation. Two men and two women are in the top 3 (with one couple), while four men and three women complete the top-10 final ranking. These results align with the IWGA’s mission to promote gender equality.

IWGA President José Perurena congratulated all the finalists on their success: “On behalf of the International World Games Association, and personally, I would like to congratulate our winner and all the athletes in the Top 10 for their outstanding performances. Congratulations for their performances in this race; but they also need to be recognised and saluted for the constant, tireless hard work and sacrifices that they make to reach the highest possible level in their sport. This Award is a fantastic opportunity to celebrate the incredible records and achievements of The World Games’ male and female athletes from all over the world. Athletes are the beating heart of our community, and this trophy symbolises our gratitude.”

After the first round which ended on 22 January 2024, the ten best athletes with the most votes went into the final round, with the voting phase ending on Wednesday 31 January 2024 at 12 noon GMT. The winner, together with the silver and bronze finishers, will receive a trophy as well as a certificate. The candidates were nominated by their respective federations.

Inspire the younger generation to get moving

Conrrado Moscoso has had a highly successful and glittering career in Racquetball. He is the current International Racquetball Federation (IRF) men’s singles World champion, and currently leads the Racquetball World Rankings. He won two gold medals and one bronze at the latest edition of the Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile.

Immediately after the announcement, winner Moscoso said:  “I am incredibly grateful and honoured to win this Award. For myself of course, but also for the international Racquetball community that I wish to represent with this title. I want to advocate for my sport in my country, my continent and throughout the world because the sport deserves worldwide publicity. My goal is to inspire the younger generation to get moving and find a passion for sport, possibly Racquetball!”

IRF President Osvaldo Maggi spoke with great enthusiasm: “On behalf of the global Racquetball community, I would like to wholeheartedly congratulate our champion Conrrado Moscoso of Bolivia on this tremendous achievement. We are so proud of him for winning and we would like to thank our supportive fans that made it possible. We look forward to seeing what the next edition of The World Games in Chengdu brings!”

A great honour!

For 21-year-old Luisa Rizzo, flying her FPV drone at speeds of over 160km/h around an intricate obstacle course is much more than a simple hobby. The remarkable Italian pilot came third in the FAI World Drone Racing Championships in Namwon, Korea in 2023. She also entered the Guinness World Record Book for clearing 56 gates in 60 seconds on live TV when aged just 16.

Happy about her second place, Rizzo said: “I am delighted with this final result. It is a great honour, not only for me but for the entire air sports community, to receive this distinction. It was thrilling to follow the voting evolution since the start of the year, and I had no idea that I was going to get so much support from The World Games community. I am endlessly grateful for the mobilisation and encouragement, and I wish I knew who voted for me, in order to thank them one by one. I would also like to thank IWGA for their promotion of non-Olympic Games Sports.”

World Air Sports Federation President David Monks echoed the young athlete’s excitement: “We would like to extend our sincere congratulations to Luisa Rizzo for her second place. The depth of her talent and outstanding performances in one of our disciplines is undeniable and brings us all together. We are honoured that she gets to be recognised in her specific field.”

Growing popularity of DanceSport

Right from the beginning of their union, Balan and Moshenska became one of the most successful and mesmerizing couples in the world. They are German Champions and have been finalists in every major competition in the world. Since 2020 they are #1 on the World Dance Sport Federation World Ranking List and continue to dominate the international Latin Dance scene.

Thrilled about their third place, the pair commented: “We are incredibly grateful to be second runners-up in The World Games Athlete of the Year Award. We hope DanceSport will get more recognition all over the world, because it is an artistic sport which makes you feel and look good.”

World DanceSport Federation President Shawn Tay commented: “I’m delighted to witness Marius-Andrei Balan and Khrystyna Moshenska’s remarkable journey towards the third place in the IWGA Athlete of the Year Award. I’ve known Marius and Khrystyna for over a decade and have seen them persist through all the triumphs and hardships in their career. Their global acclaim is in recognition of their sheer hard work, discipline, and dedication, as well as an important indication of the growing popularity of our beautiful, artistic sport. We, at the WDSF, are very proud of Marius and Khrystyna, and thankful for the recognition from IWGA.”

Dreams are fuelled by determination and can turn into reality

The Abu Dhabi native Ketbi, finished fourth in the race among 22 top athletes. He is the 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2019 World Champion in Ju-Jitsu in the -94kg category. He also won TWG 2017 gold medal in Wroclaw, Poland, in the same category, and grabbed TWG 2022 golds in the -85kg group and Open Men discipline in Birmingham, USA.

Ju-Jitsu Faisal Al Ketbi commented: “I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to the visionary leadership of the UAE for their limitless support, which made this achievement possible. I also extend my deepest appreciation to all my supporters who have been with me on this incredible journey. This achievement is a testament to the dedication, hard work, and endeavour that has fuelled my passion for Ju-Jitsu. I dedicate this achievement to my teammates, coaches, family, and fans who have stood by me every step of the way. This achievement is not just mine; it’s a collective effort, and I am overjoyed to be able to honour my country with this recognition. Together, we’ve proven that dreams fuelled by determination can turn into reality. I hope this win serves as a beacon of inspiration, encouraging aspiring athletes to pursue excellence and contribute to the sport’s continued success on the global stage.”

To close the 2023 season, a total of 22 athletes were running for The World Games Athlete of the Year title. As a reminder, in the voting for 2022, the individual winner was Valeria Cardenas (COL) from the World Flying Disc Federation (WFDF).

 

The International World Games Association (IWGA) is a non-profit-making international sports organisation recognised and supported by the International Olympic Committee. The IWGA comprises 39 International Member Sports Federations. It administers and promotes The World Games (TWG), a multi-sport event held every four years that features around 35 sports on its programme. The next edition of TWG will be in Chengdu (CHN) from 7-17 August 2025. 5,000 participants from more than 100 countries are expected to take part in this 12th edition. The latest Games were hosted by Birmingham, Alabama (USA).

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For more information, please contact the IWGA Media and Communication team: press@iwga.sport, Tel: +41 21 311 12 97, or visit our web site.

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II. Bilbao Racquetball Tournament (Individual)

On the 7th of December, the Basque Federation of Beach Tennis and Minority Sports, Racquetball Section, organised the I Bilbao Tournament of Racquetball (Individual). During the year we will hold two tournaments; the Basque Championship (singles and doubles) and the Bilbao Tournament (one year singles and another doubles).
Once again we met at the San Ignacio Municipal Sports Centre in Bilbao. We will continue to try to find or build one. We played three rounds: quarter finals, semi finals, 3rd and 4th place play-offs and the final.
There were very intense matches, like the one between Alain and Andoni, which was decided in a third match; the semi-final between Egoitz and Alain; and the final itself. Everyone sweated a lot, like Egoitz, who had to fight hard to win and became the first champion of the Bilbao tournament.
If all goes well in April, we will compete in the II. Basque Country Racquetball Championship (couples) and in August next year the singles of the same championship.
Here are the results of the I. Bilbao Racquetball Tournament (Individual):
Quarter-finals
Javier Muñoz 2-0 Joseba Zubiaurre (11-2, 11-8)
Egoitz Campo 2-0 Maximo Kulachenok (11-4, 11-9)
Axel Pernett 2-0 Daniel Barrientos (11-3, 11-8)
Alain IbañezdeOpakua 2-1 Andoni Mariezkurrena (11-9, 9-11, 11-9)
Semi-finals
Egoitz Campo 2-1 Alain Ibañezde Opakua (11-7, 6-11, 11-9)
Javier Muñoz 2-1 Axel Pernett (11-8, 9-11, 11-6)
3rd and 4th place match
Alain Ibañez of Opakua 2-0 Axel Pernett (11-7, 11-5)
The final
Egoitz Campo 2-0 Javier Muñoz (11-8, 11-9)
Results of the I. Bilbao Tournament of Racquetball (singles)
1-Egoitz Campo (Basque Country)
2-Javier Muñoz (Basque Country)
3-Alain Ibañez von Opakua (Basque Country)
4-Axel Pernett (Colombia)
5-Maximo Kulachenok (Basque Country)
6-Joseba Zubiaurre (Basque Country)
7-Andoni Mariezkurrena (Basque Country)
8-Daniel Barrientos (Basque Country)
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I Basque Country Racquetball Championships Singles 2023

On April 22, the Basque Racquetball Association organized the I Basque Country Racquetball Championship Singles 2023. Eight players participated: Samuel Otero, Daniel Barrientos, Anthony Burgos, Joseba Zubiaurre, Andi Erromo, Jon Ander Gil, Luis Getxo and Egoitz Campo, the organizer. The competition was held at the Polideportivo Municipal de San Ignacio in Bilbao. Three rounds of games were played and then the final.
The next priority objective is to be able to build a Racquetball court in the Basque Country and to get funding from a municipality to finance a full court project. Another avenue we are exploring is to reconvert an already-built facility to make a racquetball court.
In August of this year will be played the I Basque Racquetball Championship Doubles and is working to strengthen the relationship with Racquetball Catalonia to compete together. Here are the results of the I Basque Racquetball Championship. Congratulations to all participants and organizers!

Results

Quarterfinals
W – Egotiz Campo / Andi Erromo
W – Luis Getxo / Samuel Otero
W – Jon Ander Gil / Daniel Barrientos
W – Joseba Zubiaurre / Antony Burgos
Match for 5th and 6th place
W Samuel Otero / Daniel Barrientos
Semifinals
W Egoitz Campo / Joseba Zubiaurre
W Luis Getxo / Jon Ander Gil
Match for 3rd and 4th place
W Jon Ander Gil / Joseba Zubiaurre
Final
W Egoitz Campo / Luis Getxo

Classification of the Basque Championship (Singles)

1-Egoitz Campo (Basque Country)
2-Luis Getxo (Basque Country)
3-Jon Ander Gil (Basque Country)
4-Joseba Zubiaurre (Basque Country)
5-Samuel Otero (Basque Country)
6-Daniel Barrientos (Basque Country)
7-Andi Erromo (Basque Country)
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PARC 2023 – Games Qualification

At the XXXIV Pan American Racquetball Championship, held in Guatemala City between April 1 and 8, 2023, the countries of the continent competed for the medals and trophies of the tournament but also for the qualification to the XXIV Central American and Caribbean Games San Salvador 2023 and the XIX Pan American Games Santiago 2023.

The Central American and Caribbean Games are the oldest Games after the Olympics and the Racquetball competition will be held between June 24 and July 1 in the sub-venue of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.

The Pan American Games, organized by Panam Sports, is the most important continental sporting event in the world and Racquetball will open the competition on October 21 and end on October 26.

The following is the order of the qualified countries by branch, female and male, where the first four countries obtained three places and from the fifth to the last two places each.

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ITA Webinar Series 2022

Our October monthly webinar is dedicated to “Supplements & Informed Decision-Making Part 2”.

This is the second in a series of two webinars designed to support informed decision-making around supplement use. The session will cover topics such as batch-testing and methods that can be used to select the safest supplements, seeking out expert advice and how to conduct a self-assessment if athletes do not have access to a qualified dietician, and other key points that will help athletes protect themselves from inadvertent doping. The first session discussed food-first approach to training and performance; a recording of the webinar can be found on ita.sport.

Joining us for part two are nutrition expert Catherine Naulleau, a former elite athlete in rowing and Canadian Olympic Team performance dietician at multiple editions of the Olympic Games, from Sochi 2014 to Beijing 2022. Also joining the webinar is Cassie Fien, an international track and field athlete from Australia and member of the Sport Integrity Australia Athlete Advisory Group. Catherine will provide practical tips on the safer use of supplements in sport and Cassie will share her story of testing positive for a prohibited substance from supplement use.

The experts will deliver an interactive presentation and leave time at the end of the webinar to take audience questions.

As always, we are pleased to deliver these webinars in English with simultaneous translation to four additional languages – Arabic (العربي), Spanish (español), French (français) and Russian (русский).

Attached are three banners that you can use for social media promotion. As a reminder, the attached

Topic: Supplements & Informed Decision-Making Part 2

Registration link: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_PeL1k5oeREiTBAf3vvNvLQ

Event date: Thursday 27 October, 14:00 – 15:00 CET

Panelists:

Cassie Fien, Track & Field Athlete, Sport Integrity Australia Athlete Advisory Group member

Catherine Naulleau, Former Rower & Canadian Olympic Team dietician

Moderator: Olya Abasolo, ITA Education Team

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RON BROWN HONOURED BY INDIGENOUS SPORTS HALLS OF FAME

Ron Brown, member of Canada Racquetball and PARC’s Vice President North America, has been inducted as a member of the Indigenous Sports Hall Of Fame. Congratulations Ron and all the Canadian racquetball community!

Information from https://racquetballcanada.ca/ron-brown-honoured-by-indigenous-sports-halls-of-fame/

WINNIPEG (April 28, 2022) – Racquetball Canada would like to congratulate Ron Brown who was inducted to the Manitoba Indigenous Sport Hall of Fame this past week and recently inducted into the North American Indigenous Sports Hall of Fame.

Brown, who has a long history with the sport of racquetball, was one of the inaugural members inducted to both all-Indigenous Halls of Fame, two of the first in North America. Brown is of Mi’kmaw ancestry and is a proud member of the Annapolis Valley Mi’kmaq First Nation in Cambridge, Nova Scotia.

“From baseball to racquetball, roller hockey to running, we celebrated the legacy, passion, and contribution made by our inductees,” stated the Manitoba Aboriginal Sport and Recreation Council (MASRC) in their news post about the Manitoba Indigenous Sports Hall of Fame induction ceremony. Brown was inducted along-side fourteen other honourees who have also made significant contributions to sport including Reggie Leach, Jocelyn Larocque, Angela Chalmers and Theoren Fleury.

“I am thrilled to be a member of these two Halls of Fame, but to be one of the first group of inductees to be honoured is pretty special.” said Brown. “I am very proud of my heritage and to be recognized in the midst of two incredible groups of Indigenous athletes and builders is humbling.”

“I am a true champion of racquetball,” said Brown. “I played all the other sports, but racquetball was and is my true passion. I am proud that racquetball was acknowledged as a highly competitive sport through my recognition.”

Brown spoke about the importance of the Manitoba Indigenous Sports Hall of Fame. “One of the primary reasons for the establishment of the Manitoba Indigenous Sports Hall of Fame is in answer to the ‘Calls to Action’ found in the Truth and Reconciliation Report. And to share important stories about Indigenous contribution to sport.” said Brown.

Call to Action #87 calls upon “all levels of government, in collaboration with Aboriginal peoples, sports halls of fame, and other relevant organizations, to provide public education that tells the national story of Aboriginal athletes in history.”

The goal of the North American Indigenous Athletics Hall of Fame is to honour and recognize the Indigenous sport cultures of Canada and the United States by recognizing outstanding leadership and achievement in individual and team athletics.

Brown’s story is an important one to share. His ancestry is passed down from his maternal grandmother, who lost many rights through the Gradual Enfranchisement Act of 1869. The Act, which later became part of the Indian Act, granted extreme control over those with First Nations status and marked the beginning of gender-based restrictions.

As a result, when Brown’s grandmother married a non-Native man, she was stripped of her First Nations status, as were any children from her marriage. It has been a generational fight for the reinstatement of rights for those who lost their status and it wasn’t until 2011 that Brown was granted his First Nations status.

Brown’s induction into the Manitoba Indigenous Sports Hall of Fame not only highlights his incredible contribution to sport but provides context as to why the work of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission is so important.

Brown’s current contribution to racquetball is at the governance level. He is Racquetball Canada’s representative to the International Racquetball Federation and the Pan American Racquetball Confederation. He also serves as a committee member with Racquetball Canada. But his legacy spans decades, highlighted by his involvement as a national team coach. Brown represented Canada as a coach at twenty international events over a period of twenty-six years. He also was the personal coach for several Canadian racquetball greats and served as the coach for Racquetball Canada’s National Training Centre in Winnipeg. He is a recipient of several awards including being a member of the Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame and a recipient of Racquetball Canada’s Ivan Velan Award.

Brown has worked directly with programs targeted at those who are marginalized. As the manager of Supreme Racquet Club in Winnipeg, Brown ensured inner city youth in Winnipeg had the opportunity to learn and play racquetball. At the international level, Brown contributed to the development of coaches from other Pan American nations. He has continued his important work professionally through his current role as the President and CEO of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Winnipeg, and as a volunteer with many critical community organizations including the Winnipeg Poverty Reduction Council, Aboriginal Council of Winnipeg, and the Winnipeg Indigenous Executive Circle.

Racquetball Canada congratulates Ron Brown on his achievements as he is honoured by Manitoba Indigenous Sports Hall of Fame and the North American Indigenous Sports Hall of Fame.

More information about the Manitoba Indigenous Sports Hall of Fame, including Ron Brown’s biography can be found by clicking here.

More information about the North American Indigenous Sports Hall of Fame can be found by clicking here.

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International Racquetball Federation [IRF] Officially Sanctions Racket:Next

March 15, 2022

 For Immediate Release

 International Racquetball Federation [IRF] Officially Sanctions Racket:Next

 

Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA: In a decisive vote of the IRF Board of Directors, Virtual Reality racquet sport game Racket:Next [aka Racket: Nx] has become a fully sanctioned sports discipline of an IOC-Recognized global sports federation, effective April 1, 2022.

With this action, Racquet:Next becomes the first electronic game of any sort to become an official global sport.

 

IRF [Colorado Springs, USA]; Racket:Next developer One Hamsa [Tel Aviv, Israel]; and the Metaverse Sports Association [San Francisco, USA]; signed a Memorandum of Understanding in July 2021. At that time, the IRF endorsed Racket:Next and committed to progress toward full sanctioning of the game as a sport.

IRF Secretary General Luke St. Onge said at the time: “When we realized what this combination could mean not only for our federation but for all of racquet sport, we jumped all over it. This will be a game-changer both for us and for world sport. We look forward to sharing so much more as this exciting partnership unfolds.”

As St. Onge predicted, the partnership has unfolded and “the game” has changed. Dean Schear, IRF Chief Financial Officer and Chair of the IRF Virtual Sports Committee, added, “Bottom line, we have a great vision, a great team, and the sense of urgency and commitment to act now.”

The IRF has been asked to participate in the E-Gaming Pavilion at The World Games in Birmingham, Alabama, USA, in July. The IRF is also a candidate to participate in the Olympic Virtual Series later this year.

Metaverse Sports Association CEO Victor Bond, who drove and facilitated the agreement, commented, “This is a marriage made in future-sport heaven: a world-class developer and a unique, successful, and wonderful game with a fully global international IOC-recognized sports federation that has the vision and the grit to not just look around the corner but to go there.” Bond added, “This is one big step in our collaboration and one gigantic leap for the new technology of sport.”

One Hamsa CEO Assaf “Usul” Ronen added: “This first-ever sanctioning act supports Racket:Next’s core design principles as a fully athletic and visceral game, allowing players of all racquet sports – not only racquetball – to make every racket sport move, except for those that would not work in the average living room (like a racquetball dive or a clay court tennis slide), immersed inside a lighted, responsive, audio-filled dome, in a game that is purely skill based.”

Ronen continued, “Racket:Next has already surpassed 300,000 players worldwide, led by the fastest-growing VR headset, the Meta Quest 2, in which it’s been a top-rated title since its launch in 2019. Since 2021 we also witness a surge of players on emerging China-based platforms. Racquet sports, all together, is the largest sports category in the world, eclipsing even world football.

For more information:

web: www.racketnext.com  email: racketnext@gmail.com

International Racquetball Federation: www.internationalracquetball.com

One Hamsa: www.onehamsa.com

Metaverse Sports Association: www.virtualsportsassociation.com

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International Racquetball Federation: The International Racquetball Federation is the governing body for all internationally sanctioned racquetball events. Racquetball is an extremely fast sport where balls can travel in excess of 150 mph in a 40 ft. long, 20 ft. wide, and 20 ft. high court.

One Hamsa: Born to the deserts of the middle east, One Hamsa is a game design studio formed to craft quality VR games. We care about unique content, unreasonable levels of polish, and providing our players with value.

Metaverse Sports Association: The Metaverse Sports Association is dedicated to the development of high-quality athletic virtual reality games into officially sanctioned global sports. Racket:Next is our and the world’s first success. There will be more

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IRF ANNOUNCES CHANGE IN 2021 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS PLANS

August 28, 2021 – In an effort to be able offer both an IRF World Championships (Adult) and an IRF World Junior Championships, as well as to be mindful of and concerned for the pandemic-related health and safety of country delegations as well as the host countries themselves, the IRF today announces changes in plans for both events.

The IRF World Championships (Adult) will now take place at the same time as the IRF World Junior Championships in late November/early December in Guatemala City, Guatemala. This reflects a change in dates but not location since Guatemala City was the originally announced host country.

The IRF World Junior Championships dates reflect only a small change (see below), but the host country is now Guatemala and not Costa Rica as previously planned. We hope to return to Costa Rica in 2022, and we are so grateful for Costa Rica’s dedicated ongoing partnership with the IRF in serving the worldwide racquetball family. Official invitations are being developed for both events and will reach national federations as soon as possible. We strongly suggest that everyone wait to receive these before booking airfare. Even then, we suggest researching refundable flights and/or travel insurance possibilities since we all know the pandemic often compels changes as new information comes available.

The general plan, subject to modifications, is:

  • Adult event arrivals and practice the last weekend of November
  • Juniors arrive the first part of the week of 29 November
  • Adults and Juniors compete simultaneously for several days
  • Adults conclude the first half of the week of 6 December
  • Juniors continue competition through the end of that week, likely traveling home on the originally planned date of 12 December

While we certainly recognize that this schedule will present various challenges for the delegations and for the IRF, we are excited at the prospect of Junior players being able to meet the world’s best racquetball athletes and hopefully observe them compete in a World Championships event (pandemic measures permitting).

To address that point, we are working to develop protocols and approaches to put as many safety measures into place as necessary and indicated to reduce risk. Our first priority is the well-being of everyone involved. We appreciate the collaboration and relationship with the IRT and LPRT as we worked together to find the best way to be able to host these IRF international competitions with as little impact as possible on their event schedules. There is much more information to come! We are grateful for the understanding and flexibility on everyone’s part as we all continue to navigate the pandemic as best we can in our lives and in our sport.

In conclusion, we’d like to mention two very uplifting points:

We are excited for Guatemala as they host their first international event on their long-awaited brand new courts. Congratulations, Guatemala!

The IRF World Championships (Adult) is the sole qualifier for the 16 men’s singles positions and 16 women’s singles positions that will be competed in The World Games in Birmingham, Alabama, USA, next summer. Players qualify for themselves, not as country representatives. We wish everyone good luck!

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