More than 100 delegates from national American football federations worldwide will descend on Paris, France this weekend when the International Federation of American Football (IFAF) hosts its annual Congress – the first since the recent IOC Session that conferred full recognition on IFAF and also saw the historic addition of flag football to the Olympic Games Los Angeles 2028.
The gathering will take place from November 24-25 at Jean Bouin stadium in Paris – a sporting landmark of the city where the international federation was first established in 1998 and continues to have its global headquarters.
IFAF is currently one of two IOC-recognised international federations with its legal base in France – and, since last month, the only Olympic sport federation with this status.
It comes as new legal provisions have been introduced in France this year in an effort to attract more international sports organisations to the country as part of the legacy of the Olympic and Paralympic Games Paris 2024.
The agenda for IFAF’s Paris Congress is set to feature a landmark vote to add National Football League (NFL) representation to the extended IFAF Board.
The NFL, the primary professional league in American football, has joined forces with IFAF through Vision 2028 – a pioneering joint venture and partnership model that makes flag football the cornerstone of shared sport development goals globally.
Alongside the Congress, the national finals of the first NFL Flag championships for children aged 5-15 in France will be held at Jean Bouin stadium on Saturday, 25 November. The programme is being delivered by staff of the French American Football Federation (FFFA), IFAF’s member federation in the country, following a model successfully adopted in territories around the world.
The inaugural French champions will represent the country at the NFL Flag International tournament taking place alongside the NFL Pro Bowl Games in Orlando, Florida in February 2024.
IFAF President Pierre Trochet said: “It is fitting, in IFAF’s 25th anniversary year – and a year that promises to mark a watershed for our sport worldwide – to be able to welcome the global American football family back home to Paris; to the city where it all began for us and which is now the Olympic host.
“There could be no better stage for what will be a great celebration recognizing not only the historic events of Mumbai but everything we have achieved together over the past 12 months.
“This year has demonstrated the power of bold vision, creativity and collaboration – in particular with our friends and partners at the NFL. I’m delighted that they will be with us as we take steps towards stronger alignment and plan for the golden opportunities of the years to come.”
Three accomplished administrators are candidates to fill vacant Continental Representative roles at the IFAF Congress. The IFAF member federations will vote on the proposal that Gregor Murth (Austria), Mr. Awasum Junior (Cameroon) and Daryll Nathaniel (Malaysia) fill the vacant positions for the European, African, and Asian roles respectively. If elected, they will serve a term for the period 2023 to 2026. Javier L’Episcopo (Argentina/Americas) and Russell McConnachie (New Zealand/Oceania) will continue their continental duties.
Gregor Murth was elected to the board of the Austrian Football Federation (AFBÖ) in 2002 having been successful as a player, coach, and board member of his hometown team the Vienna Vikings. He has held numerous IFAF roles since 2014, including being the IFAF representative for Europe from 2018 to 2022, after which he served as a consultant.
In 1989, he began playing American football as a quarterback in the Vikings junior team. He has won eight national championship titles as a player and twice reached the final of the Eurobowl, being named Defensive MVP of the Vikings in 2001. As a coach he has won two Austrian championship and three Eurobowls.
Mr. Awasum Junior launched the Cameroon American Football Association in 2013, which he served as founder and CEO before being elected in 2018 as President of the Cameroon Federation of American football.
He has vast experienced across multiple roles within sports in his home nation and has won awards and recognition for his service. Mr. Awasum is skilled in sports business and development; corporate communications and marketing; brand strategy; and event planning, management, and execution.
Daryll Nathaniel, a dedicated enthusiast of Flag Football, brings a wealth of experience and passion to the world of sports administration and has made significant contributions to the growth of Flag Football in Malaysia and the broader Asian region.
In 2019, Daryll was elected President of the Malaysia American Football Association and following the successful completion of his term, continues to serve as an advisor to the association.
He joined the Flag Football community in Malaysia in 2008 and pioneered the nation’s first-ever All Female Flag Football tournament. He went on to establish two of the oldest surviving Flag Football clubs in Malaysia that have collectively clinched nine National Championships. He served as Head of the Local Organising Committee for the inaugural 2023 IFAF Asia-Oceania Flag Football Championships.
