FEI Secretary General elected President of new Paralympic Association

Sabrina Ibáñez (SUI), Secretary General of the Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI), has been elected as President of the newly-founded Association of Paralympic Sports Organisations (APSO). The vote took place at the founding General Assembly of the Association in Abu Dhabi (UAE) today.

The FEI Secretary General was standing for election alongside Maureen Orchard (CAN), former President and now Secretary General of the International Wheelchair Basketball Federation (IWBF), with four votes in favour of Mrs Orchard and 12 votes for Mrs Ibáñez.

Mrs Orchard, who has chaired the working group that was formed following the decision to dissolve the IPC Sports Council at the 2015 IPC General Assembly in Mexico City in order to establish the independent body, was elected to the APSO Board of Directors. Also elected as Board Members were Henk Van Aller, Secretary General of the International Blind Sports Association (IBSA), Tom Dielen, Secretary General of World Archery, and Colin Grahamslaw, Secretary General of the World Curling Federation (WCF).

“I am truly honoured to have been elected as President of the new Association of Para Sports Organisations, which has such an important role to play”, the newly-elected APSO President Sabrina Ibáñez said today. “It is our function as governing bodies to safeguard the rights of our Para-athletes and I am fully committed to guaranteeing a sound governance framework that will protect these athletes and encourage the future growth of Paralympic sport worldwide.”

“I am also delighted with the election of my Board members and am particularly thrilled to have another woman on the board in Maureen Orchard, who has such a wealth of experience and whose role as chair of the working group has led to the creation today of this important organisation.”

A total of 17 International Federations and other sports organisations which govern Para sport independently, not through the International Paralympic Committee, are now members of APSO:

Badminton World Federation (BWF);

Boccia International Sports Federation (BISFED);

Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI);

International Blind Sports Association (IBSA) for Football 5-a-side, Goalball and Judo;

International Canoe Federation* (ICF);

International Cycling Union (UCI);

International Rowing Federation (FISA);

International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF);

International Tennis Federation (ITF) for Wheelchair Tennis;

International Triathlon Union (ITU);

International Wheelchair and Amputee Sport Federation (IWAS) for Wheelchair Fencing;

International Wheelchair Basketball Federation (IWBF);

International Wheelchair Rugby Federation (IWRF);

World Archery (WA);

World Curling Federation (WCF) for Wheelchair Curling;

World ParaVolley (WPV) for Sitting Volleyball;

World Taekwondo (WT).

*The ICF representative was unable to attend today’s meeting.

Notes to Editors:

About Sabrina Ibáñez

Sabrina Ibáñez has served as the FEI Secretary General since December 2014. She has been with the Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI), the global governing body of equestrian sport, since 1991 and has held previously the position of FEI Director Governance and Executive Affairs.

Prior to working for the FEI, Sabrina Ibáñez was with Telecom Japan TV Productions in New York (USA) and the Fédération Internationale de Natation Amateur (FINA) in Lausanne (SUI).

Sabrina Ibáñez holds a diploma in Sociology, Politics and Management of Sport Science from the Universities of Lausanne (SUI), Leicester (GBR), and Montpellier (FRA) as well as a bachelor’s degree in Communications and History from Boston University (USA).

Sabrina Ibáñez is a Swiss national of Salvadorian, American, and Austrian descent. She is fluent in English, French, and Spanish and has two sons aged 20 and 23.

About Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI) www.fei.org

The FEI became one of the first international sports governing bodies to govern and regulate global para sport alongside its seven able-bodied disciplines when Para-Equestrian Dressage joined its ranks in 2006. The FEI now governs all international competitions for Para-Equestrian Dressage and Para-Driving, alongside the Olympic sports of Jumping, Dressage and Eventing, as well as Driving, Endurance, Vaulting and Reining.

The FEI is the world governing body for horse sport recognised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and International Paralympic Committee (IPC) and was founded in 1921.