Lithuania became the second European Athletics Member Federation to take part in the Focus Federation Programme when it presented to the 151st European Athletics Council meeting recently in Berlin.
The Athletic Federation of Lithuania provided the Council with highlights of the nation’s greatest athletics accomplishments, an overview of the staff and structure of the federation, and details of its activities, including its objectives for 2016-2020.
The aim of the initiative launched in April 2017 is to enhance communication, transparency and understanding between Member Federations and European Athletics. Two Member Federations are invited to Lausanne each year and the programme is open to all Federations who currently do not have any representation on the Council.
“We were very impressed by the presentation from the Athletic Federation of Lithuania, with whom we have gotten to know a great deal more of lately both professionally and personally,” said European Athletics President Svein Arne Hansen. “The success of the Focus Federation Programme is not in doubt – the process is serving to bring our organisation closer together while also moving us forward.”
The Federation’s objectives for the 2016-2020 include attracting new sponsors and increasing revenues, organising more training courses and seminars, and becoming more involved with local running events. The Federation was pleased to report that its national broadcaster, LRT, will broadcast the 2018 European Championships, 2019 European Indoor Championships and the 2019 World Championships.
The Lithuanian Federation visited the House of European Athletics in Lausanne in March to fulfil the first part of the FFP. The two-day agenda incorporated a robust programme of meetings, workshops and presentations in which the contingent were briefed on all areas of European Athletics’ operations, ranging from competition structure, bidding processes, good governance and marketing strategy to newer landmark initiatives such as I Run Clean(™), Running for All and Dynamic New Athletics (DNA).
The Athletic Federation of Lithuania was the second MF to complete the FFP following the Belarus Athletic Federation in November last year. Later this year Latvia will become the third MF to take part in the programme.