The date is to be remembered. Saturday April 8, 2023, the International Fencing Federation (FIE) will dedicate an entire day to saving the planet.
A “Fencing for the Planet” day, the first of its kind. Twenty-four hours during which the community of the discipline, all over the world, will multiply initiatives in favor of environmental protection and sustainability.
Fencing has never been singled out as a sport that does not respect the planet. Nevertheless, its international body has placed sustainable development high among its priorities.
In 2019, the third edition of World Fencing Day, organized every year in September, was dedicated to saving the planet. A first salvo. The employees of the Lausanne headquarters had collectively decided to organize a cleaning of a section of the beach going from Vidy to Saint-Sulpice, on Lake Geneva, in cooperation with two partners: Cheval and Environnement for ecological transport and garbage disposal, and the ASL (Association for the Conservation of the Leman Lake), which provides the tools to collect waste abandoned in the streets or on the beaches.
With its first “Fencing for the Planet” day, the FIE is picking up the pace. It also sets a date for the future, setting in stone an initiative intended to mobilize its national federations, but also its athletes. Objective: carry out actions in favor of the planet and people, their health and their environment.
At the helm of the project, Ana Irene Delgado. A former high-level fencer, lawyer and diplomat, the Panamanian sits on the FIE executive committee. She is vice-president and observer within the Ethics Committee.
Last May, the South American leader took charge of a working group dedicated to the environment. Around the table, representatives of several FIE commissions (medical, marketing, SEMI), but also of the continental confederations.
Very quickly, the idea of an annual day for the planet imposed itself on the members of the group. A date is determined: the second Saturday of April, each year. A logo is drawn. A project ambassador, chosen from among the athletes, will be designated to carry the message.
Ambition? Go beyond declarations of intent by taking action. Ana Irene Delgado explains: “ We have established a whole series of actions and directives for national federations, competition organizers, athletes, and all our stakeholders, to be even more respectful of the planet. For example, we recommend abandoning plastic bottles, using public transport, renewable energies and locally produced food. »
Other recommendations include donating food products not consumed during an event or competition to charitable organizations.
Equipment manufacturers are also being asked to participate in the collective effort. “ We asked them to think about making equipment – weapons and outfits – more responsible, with more environmentally friendly materials.”, continues the vice-president of the FIE. A meeting is planned as part of the next cadet/junior world championships, at the beginning of April in Plovdiv, Bulgaria.
The FIE has led by example. At face-to-face meetings of its executive committee or commissions, held for a long time in Lausanne or elsewhere in the world, the body has favored the virtual world, by videoconference, since last year. Anything but anecdotal for its carbon footprint.
Athletes ? They are requesters. “ The juniors, in particular, are very attentive to our proposals and recommendations., explains Ana Irene Delgado. They are extremely concerned about the future of the planet. And volunteers to reduce waste, with responsible actions and habits, in competitions but also in their daily lives. »
At the head of the procession, Ruben Limardo. The Venezuelan swordsman, Olympic champion at the London 2012 Games and president of the FIE Athletes' Commission, volunteered to join the environment working group. Quite a symbol.
