You’d think that reporting from the UIM General Assembly was a simple matter, at least that’s what I thought.

It’s not.

The owner of Powerboatracingworld.com media platform, and former President of Norwegian Powerboat Federation and UIM council member Frode Sundsdal shares his UIMGA thoughts.

Frode told PRW :

If you’re going to understand the UIM, you must understand the structure.

 

It’s a global organization with a number of member nations that must follow a series of laws.

 

I’m here in Fujairah to cover powerboat racing news updates, and the UIM’s 100th anniversary.

 

However, I can see frustration and tension between the delegates. Politics is in many ways natural, but this is often far from sport politics – too often there are personal agendas and conflicts.

 

This is what makes it so difficult attending the General Assembly, many want to talk to us at PRW although few want to go on record with the information they share.

Late in 2014 the UIM President Raffaele Chiulli brought in Thomas Kurth to fill the role as Secretary General, he now runs the administration with four administrators at the headquarters in Monaco.

During the GA Mr Kurth runs 3 parallel meetings every day.

Pelle Larsson told us recently that he enjoyed working with the office. 

Some of President Chiulli’s UIM assignments includes:

• Heading up the UIM Council, which is made up of twelve administrators, in addition to the UIM Executive Committee
• Overseeing Offshore (COMINOFF), Medical and Safety (COMINSAFE), Sports (COMINSPORT), Formula, Technical (COMINTECH), Aquabike and Pleasure Navigation.

All of the preparation for the GA is work in progress in these meetings :

Have we lost you?

Frode continued :

I have had previous experience with UIM General Assembly’s having attended at an official level for Norway and I know that some delegates put in an enormous amount of work, but it is indisputable that others treat it as a vacation.

Frode also claims that :

Subjectively, After the pandemic, it has become more combative.

 

In my opinion, and during this GA particularly I have witnessed battles been fought out over personal issues, rather than sporting matters.

 

The election campaigns that are fought are unfortunately also governed by issues.

Not who can do the best job for the sport.

Active efforts are being made to remove skilled zealots from their positions.

In my opinion, the loser in this case is the sport, and UIM.

Because, at the end of the day, we, who love this sport are (should be) all UIM.

A possible solution ? 

Just because it has been done it in a certain way for 100 years does not mean its right said Frode.

There is as number of ways to make it better, and I don’t hold all the answers, of cause.

 

But the first thing I would do was to flip the meeting agenda around.

 

Start with the election.

 

By doing that, you will have the new elected people capable of working together for a week.

 

Knowing their own position.

 

The new commission presidents and chairperson could chair the meetings and the new elected people and committees could form the proposals for the future.

 

Much more effective.

 

By doing that you would also get away with a week of campaigning.

 

Its about time that the development of the sport is put on the agenda.

 

In 24 hours all of the delegates will be leaving Fujairah, without even a formal meeting of the committee they will chair of be a member of.

 

I think its valuable time wasted.

We wish the delegates all the best for the election.