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WORLD SQUASH FEDERATION LIMITED
38th ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

SATURDAY 18th OCTOBER 2008
0900 - 1300 hrs

AGENDA
CITY INN HOTEL
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND

WORLD SQUASH FEDERATION LIMITED
38th ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
SATURDAY 18th OCTOBER 2008
 


1. PRESIDENT’S WELCOME

a) AGM Programme
b) Voting Procedures
c) Appointment of scrutineers

2. APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE
3. ATTENDANCE
a) Members represented and number of votes
b) Observers present
c) Others present:
i. By right
ii. By invitation

4. APPLICATIONS FOR FULL MEMBERSHIP
Cayman Islands.
5. APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES OF THE 37th ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
Annexure A
6. MATTERS ARISING FROM THE MINUTES OF THE 37th ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
7. REPORT OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE 2007-2008 Annexure B
8. MOTIONS TO AMEND THE ARTICLES OF ASSOCIATION OF WSF LIMITED
None submitted.
9. MOTIONS TO CREATE AND AMEND RULES GOVERNING WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
a) Motion: Submitted by Championships Committee
Rule on eligibility for WSF Team Championships
A player is eligible to represent a Country in a World Team Championship
if he was born in, or is a citizen of, or became a naturalised citizen of or
has resided in that Country for at least three years immediately preceding the Championship.

Explanatory Statement/Rationale
The WSF Championships committee has conducted a rigorous updating of the
WSF Championship Regulations since the 2007 AGM. Almost all of this is a
tidying up process with some minor technical changes incorporated. This is the one
of two actual rule changes and as such needs AGM approval. The previous rule read exactly the same but had four years residential qualification - we are recommending this reduction to three as it will bring the rule more into line with what most MNF's have as their own residential eligibility rule.

b) Motion: Submitted by Championships Committee
Rule on eligibility for WSF Championships:-
If a player is a citizen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Northern Ireland, he may represent the Country of England, Scotland, Wales or Isle of Man only if he was born in that Country or has resided in that Country for at least 3 years immediately preceding the Championship.

Explanatory Statement/Rationale
This is the second actual rule change refereed to. The previous rule read 'If a player is a citizen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland they may play for the United Kingdom Country of their father and/or mother's birth'.
So eligibility through citizenship and parentage is replaced by eligibility through player birth or citizenship and residence - historically the parentage was also included to take emigration into account. However this really seems outdated now and Committee could see no reason to allow a wider criterion for eligibility when all other Countries require citizenship and residence. 3 years has been chosen to be consistent with the first rule applying to all other Member Countries.

10. MOTIONS TO AMEND THE RULES OF SQUASH

a) Motion: Submitted by WSF Management Committee
That PAR 11 scoring be adopted as the official scoring system for the game of singles and international doubles squash and that the Rules be amended accordingly; the change will be effective 1st April 2009 to allow time for MNFs to plan upcoming events.

Explanatory Statement/Rationale
The vision of a unified scoring system for Squash was agreed at the 2005 AGM following a motion proposed by Egypt. During 2007/08, WSF set up a Working Group (WG) to study the feasibility of a “global unified scoring system”. This motion is based on the main recommendation of the WG, this is, that the entire sport merges to Point-a-Rally scoring to 11 points (PAR-11) with three of five games needed to win a match.

The WG’s key hypothesis was that a unified scoring system was feasible and that it should be based on PAR rather than traditional Hand-in-Hand-out (HiHo). This was based on three factors: (i) other sports had successfully switched from HiHo to PAR (e.g. volleyball), (ii) PAR is inherently easier to understand/follow for the uninitiated or beginner – whether playing or watching and (iii) PSA had successfully implemented PAR in the 90s and moved from PAR-15 to PAR-11 in 2005 to deliver an even more TV-friendly package.

Given that the PSA Tour was already using PAR-11, the WG’s main task was to prove that PAR-11 worked well for recreational players and liase with WISPA to evaluate if the system worked for professional women’s tour.

An online survey revealed that 74% of the 1,200 respondents agreed that the sport should move to a uniform scoring system and 48% agreed it should be PAR (vs. 45% in favour of HiHo). In addition, a survey among 2,000 recreational players was conducted in Australia, Brazil, England, Estonia, Finland, Peru and South Africa; those surveyed played matches using PAR-11 and recorded their experience relative to their usual matches using HiHo. Respondents felt that PAR-11 would be more entertaining to watch, was no more difficult to keep the score, the tactics stayed essentially the same (except in Brazil/Estonia where the game included more attacking play) and shortened the matches by about 20%.

Shortly the WG announced its recommendation, WISPA informed the world of its adoption of PAR-11 for the women’s Tour. This wrapped up the work of the WG and allowed WSF to proceed with this motion for Singles.

The rationale for International Doubles is straightforward. The discipline is played using HiHo-9 to best of three games (elite events) and HiHo-15 to best of five games (recreational players). In order to achieve uniformity, all International Doubles matches will be played using PAR-11 to best of three (elite) and best of five (recreational players). It is important to recall that elite matches are played to best of three because experience shows that using best of five renders them too long – some matches from Melbourne 2006 lasted well over two hours and this was using PAR-9.

In summary, the benefits of merging the sport’s scoring to PAR-11 are:

Create the image that recreational players are playing the same game as professionals –“I can do that” effect
Easier to understand for beginners
Easier to follow for spectators and viewers (TV/Internet)
A unique marketing opportunity to demonstrate the sport’s openness to change and innovation – an undoubted benefit, if exploited correctly, for our Olympic bid for 2016

An element of caution is the shortening of matches observed in the trials among recreational players. We are mindful that changes in the length of matches will affect players. Our main concern is that recreational players still feel that they have obtained a good workout at the end of the match, thereby maintaining Squash’s image as an intensely athletic sport. We will monitor this closely for the long-term health of our equity. In addition, we will be seeking feedback from club owners to ensure that the change does not negatively affect their business.

b) Submitted by Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Norway, Slovakia, Sweden
That PAR 11 scoring be adopted as the official scoring system for the game of singles squash and that the Rules be amended accordingly.

Explanatory Statement/Rationale
At the ESF Annual General Meeting in 2007, ESF Members agreed that a unified scoring system for squash was essential and that consideration should be given to adopting PAR 11 scoring.

At the ESF Annual General Meeting in 2008, a Motion was submitted jointly by Austria, France and Sweden proposing that PAR 11 scoring should be used at all ESF Championships and at all tournaments on the ESF Junior Circuit. The Motion was carried after it had been modified to state that PAR 11 scoring should be introduced on an experimental basis for 12 months with implementation arranged by the ESF Board. PAR 11 scoring has since been introduced for all ESF Championships starting with the European Individual Closed in June 2008 and with the 2008/09 ESF Junior Circuit. Members felt that this experimental period would provide WSF with further evidence to support the introduction of a unified scoring system for squash as a whole.

Members also agreed that a Motion should be submitted for consideration at the 2008 WSF Annual General Meeting.

PSA has been successfully using PAR scoring since 2004 and, at the time of submitting this Motion, WISPA was due to implement PAR 11 scoring in July 2008.

It is believed that PAR scoring improves the game and enhances its appeal for spectator and television purposes.

ESF Members believe that it is essential to have a single scoring system, especially in view of the work being carried out to have squash accepted as an Olympic sport. It is believed that adopting PAR 11 scoring as the official scoring system for squash is the most appropriate way forward.

c) Motion: Submitted by Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Norway, Slovakia, Sweden
That PAR 11 scoring be adopted as the official scoring system for the game of doubles squash and that the Rules be amended accordingly.

Explanatory Statement/Rationale
ESF Members believe that it is essential to have a single scoring system for all games of squash, especially in view of the work being carried out to have squash accepted as an Olympic sport. If PAR 11 scoring is adopted for the singles game, PAR 11 scoring should be introduced for the doubles game to achieve consistency.

d) Motion: Submitted by WSF Championships and WSF Medical Committee
Juniors playing in WSF Team Championships must wear approved eye guards.
(Junior is defined as under 19 on the last day of the championship)

Explanatory Statement/Rationale
In 1999 WSF introduced a rule requiring juniors to wear approved eye guards in all WSF individual and team championships. However there is the anomaly that a junior could shortly thereafter play in the Men’s or Women’s senior team Championship and is not required to wear eye guards. This motion suggests redressing that omission situation and if approved by Members will be added to the Championship Regulations.

e) Motion: Submitted by ManCom, WSF Championships Committee and WSF Medical Committee.
The World Squash Federation formally adopts the revised WADA Anti-Doping code with effect from the 1st January 2009 and amend the Championships Regulations accordingly.

Explanatory Statement/Rationale
This motion is formal adoption of the WADA code which will be applied to our World Squash Anti-Doping Rules. There will be a need to revise some of our rules in consultation with PSA and WISPA as the World Squash Anti-Doping Rules are a jointly agreed 2004 initiative. The final detailed rules will form an appendix to the WSF World Championship Regulations.

11. WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
d) To update Members on progress made in assigning World Championships in the last year and receive bids or expressions of interest to host future events:

AS OF 13th AUGUST 2008
 

Year

Team
Men

Team
Women

Open
Women

Open
Men

Junior
Men

Junior
Women

Masters

World
Cup

International
Doubles

2007

India

--------

Spain

Bermuda

--------

Hong Kong

---------

-------

---------

2008

--------

Egypt

England

England

Switzerland

--------

New Zealand

-------

India

2009

Denmark

--------

Netherlands

Kuwait

--------

India

---------

Vacant

---------

2010

--------

Vacant

Vacant

S. Arabia

Vacant

--------

Germany

------

Vacant

2011

Vacant

--------

Vacant

Vacant

--------

Vacant

---------

Vacant

---------

2012

--------

Vacant

Vacant

Vacant

Vacant

--------

Vacant

 

Vacant


12. GENERAL BUSINESS

a) To receive the Forward Plan of the WSF for 2008/2009.
Annexure C
b) To receive reports from WSF Regional Vice Presidents:
i. Africa Annexure D
ii. Asia Annexure E
iii. Europe Annexure F
iv. Oceania Annexure G
v. Pan-America Annexure H

13. WSF FINANCE
a) Adoption of the audited accounts for the financial year 2007/2008. Annexure I
b) To authorise the Officers to appoint and fix remuneration of the auditors.
c) To receive the Budget for the financial year 2008/2009. Annexure J
d) MOTION – MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE
That the Membership Fees of the WSF for the calendar year 2009 shall be raised by 5.0% and rounded to the nearest ten pounds and that the fee for Affiliated Organisations be raised to £500. Note: the last increase occurred in 2006.

Full Member - 6 votes (1501 – 3000 courts) £6,250
Full Member - 5 votes (1001 - 1500 courts) £4,570
Full Member - 4 votes (751 - 1000 courts) £3,730
Full Member - 3 votes (501 - 750 courts) £2,050
Full Member - 2 votes (51 - 500 courts) £1,160
Full Member - 1 vote (1 - 50 courts) £370
Associate Member £30
Affiliated Organisation £500

That a discount of 7½% of the total Membership Fee may be deducted from the payment if remittance is made before January 31st 2009.

14. ANY OTHER COMPETENT BUSINESS
(Subject to Clause 144 of WSF Articles of Association – “At all General Meetings only the business notified in the agenda shall be transacted. Amendments must be kept within the terms of the motion and the Chairman of the Meeting shall have the power to refuse any amendment which substantially alters the intention of the motion.”)

15. ELECTION OF THE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE OF WSF LIMITED
Nominations for the posts of President and Vice President of WSF have been correctly submitted under Articles 30, 31 and 32 as follows:

a) PRESIDENT (in alphabetical order) Annexure K-L
Nominated by India N. RAMACHANDRAN (Asia)
Nominated by England CHRIS STAHL (Europe)
b) VICE-PRESIDENTS (in alphabetical order) Annexure M-Q
Nominated by Hong Kong HEATHER DEAYTON (Asia)
Nominated by New Zealand GERARD DECOURCY (Oceania)
Nominated by England CHRIS STAHL (Europe)
Nominated by Netherlands FRANK VAN LOON (Europe)

c) EMERITUS PRESIDENT
Proposal, if desired, from the incoming President of the World Squash Federation for the appointment of an Emeritus President.

16. FUTURE MEETINGS
a) 2009 Annual General Meeting
 

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