First Asian General Secretary Summit

Almaty, Kazakhstan hosts important educational program

 

The IIHF held its inaugural General Secretary Summit for Asian members in Almaty, Kazakhstan. A total of 21 participants went through a one-week program, which simultaneously marked the beginning of a two-year project, at a minimum, as part of the IIHF’s Growing the Game Fund initiative.

 

A total of 26 educational modules have been developed, and these will be customized to meet the needs of individual members. On the administration side, watch for topics like strategic planning and development, good governance, stakeholder management, financial management, sponsorship and marketing, and emotional intelligence.

 

IIHF Director General Matti Nurminen reflected with satisfaction: “This is definitely a program the IIHF will continue and potentially also extend to other IIHF regions. We want to grow the game globally and also in Asia, where there is a huge market. It was a great week with many proactive participants, open discussions, and good topics with excellent presenters.”

 

Program participants also get a broad understanding about coaching programs, club management, athlete development and athlete pathways, high performance programs, national team requirements, and the fundamentals of proper officiating programs, to name just a few more topics.

 

“With the growing demand from each Member National Association to become competitive in several aspects and to ultimately maximize Asia’s hockey potential, this is a very essential and important program,” said Harald Springfeld, IIHF Sport Development Manager for Asia. “The IIHF’s aim is to speak the language and address the needs of today’s sports community. We are regrouping and moving forward, stronger than ever.”

 

Based on the surveys and take-aways from this summit, the education modules will be further defined and incorporated into new or updated strategic plans for each member. Participants will meet several times online, with another meeting planned for later in 2025. The program itself is also part of the IIHF’s ICE26 Strategic Plan, with the IIHF cooperating and working closely with its members.