UIPM Sports community signs up for Virtual Youth Festival

• Twenty-two youth athletes and two judges selected
• Eight countries from four continents represented
• President Schormann hails educational benefits of unique event

Twenty-four members of the global UIPM Sports community have been selected to take part in the inaugural Virtual Youth Festival (VYF).

After a global response to UIPM’s call to action, two youth athletes will promote the festival as ambassadors while 20 others will take part in the Max Fit exercise contest and two judges will work as International Technical Officials.

The participating nations are Egypt, France, Guatemala, Israel, Japan, Singapore, South Africa and Uzbekistan.

UIPM’s involvement in the VYF follows the creation of two virtual sports events in 2020 - #LaserAllStars and #LaserHomeRun - designed to bring the multi-sports community together online during the COVID-19 Coronavirus pandemic.

All aspects of the VYF, including medal ceremonies, will take place online with the finals organised virtually from a hub in Bangkok, Thailand. Followers can get involved on social media with the hashtag #onespiritoneheart.

More than 60 organisations have come together to promote inclusion, health, equality, non-discrimination and peace through the VYF, created by United Through Sports (UTS).

Patronised by the International Olympic Committee, the International Paralympic Committee, Special Olympics, Sport Accord and the Global Association of International Sports Federations, the VYF integrates Olympic sport with the values of the Paralympic and Special Olympics movements.

UIPM President Dr Klaus Schormann said: “The response of our global UIPM Sports community to participate in the Virtual Youth Festival has been very encouraging and I congratulate all of the athletes and technical officials selected.

“Our sport is focused strongly on education, which is a cornerstone of the VYF. It is more important than ever at this difficult time that we provide opportunities for youth and engage the athletes of tomorrow.

“Working hand in hand with other organisations, we can also continue to use our sporting movement as a vehicle for ideals of education, peace, democracy, tolerance and humanity.”

Youth Ambassadors

Two female youth athletes have been selected by UIPM to engage peers around the world in an ambassadorial capacity.

Kyra Seow of Singapore, 11, and Mariam Amer of Egypt, 18, will pre-record a short video clip to introduce themselves, share their dreams and their goals and provide a short introduction about UIPM Sports.

Seow (SGP) won a gold medal at the UIPM Global Laser Run City Tour in Kuala Lumpur (MAL) in March 2019 before competing at the UIPM Laser Run World Championships in Budapest (HUN) later in the year.

Amer (EGY) is already an experienced pentathlete who has enjoyed success in UIPM Junior World Championships and UIPM Youth World Championships as well as competing at senior level in the UIPM Pentathlon World Cup and CISM Military Games.

Max Fit

Twenty athletes from five countries in Africa (Egypt, South Africa), Asia (Uzbekistan), Europe (Israel) and NORCECA (Guatemala) will participate in the Max Fit exercise.

This competition will focus on the contestants’ strength, power and stamina using standardized exercise and fitness drills across nine age groups (Under 10 to Under 18).

International Technical Officials

Two certified UIPM Judges will take part in the VYF as judges for the Finals, which take place from November 20-22.

Agnese Tomassi of France and Isamu Nogami of Japan will enrol in a series of workshops with practical elements before they join officials representing other International Federations in the multi-sport competition.

The objective is to create a unified and collaborative approach towards judging the finals.