Upcoming Para Fencing IWAS Events Administration (Information for Athletes, Coaches and Parents)

Please note that this announcement only relates to IWAS World Cups and Satellites not European and World Championships.

Last updated: 19th April 2024

Please read the announcement on 8th March 2022 for additional context.

 

2024 SCHEDULE

 

UPCOMING EVENTS

21st-23rd April 2024 – Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand (U17 and U23 World Championships) – click here – applications have now closed

23rd-26th May 2024 – Sao Paulo, Brazil (World Cup) – click here – applications have now closed

22nd-23rd June 2024 – Orange, France (Satellite) – click here – applications close 12 noon on Tuesday 30th April 2024

4th-7th July 2024 – Warsaw, Poland (World Cup)

3rd-7th September 2024 – Paris, France (Paralympic Games)

7th-10th November 2024 – Pisa, Italy (World Cup)

PREVIOUS EVENTS

11th-14th January 2024 Cardiff, United Kingdom (World Cup) – click here

5th-10th March 2024 – Paris, France (European Championships) – click here

OTHER INFORMATION

 

BF & UKSI

BF is working closely with the UKSI delivered Para-fencing World Class Programme (directly funded by UK Sport) to facilitate selection and entry into IWAS events. The UKSI WCP will be responsible for indicating to WCP fencers the process by which either the WCP or the WCP nominated fencer, will take responsibility for communicating an entry to a world cup event with British Fencing. Pathway (non-WCP) fencers and those WCP fencers entering independently from the WCP activity will be supported by and provided with administrative support by [email protected] across both WCP and Pathway.

For WCP funded and supported IWAS world cups, the UKSI will agree these competitions with the athlete as part of their annual programme and enter them by notification to BF by BF’s published deadline. For WCP nominated fencers entering world cups independently outside of WCP activity, then the athlete will be responsible for entering the competition by notification to BF by BF’s published deadline.

 

Selection

BF has published an updated GBR selection policy for consultation. Based on the feedback received this will be re-drafted and put out for further consultation, prior to being finally presented to the Board of BF for approval.

In the meantime BF is responsible for entering athletes on a discretionary selection basis as follows:

• For WCP funded and supported IWAS competitions the WCP athletes must be nominated by the WCP, and the nomination forwarded to British Fencing by UKSI.
• For WCP nominated fencers wishing to enter IWAS competitions outside of WCP activity, the fencer must submit their entry to British Fencing directly.
• BF will allow non WCP athletes to enter, subject to a minimum standards and eligibility check which will include confirmation that they have the experience to travel and compete on a personal basis (including previous attendance at a World Cup/Satellite).
• Athletes must be eligible to compete – eligibility criteria are published as part of the GBR Selection policy here. Please refer to 6.1.  noting that IWAS licences rather than FIE/EFC licences are required.

 

Putting yourself forward for selection/entry

Athletes (or the WCP) must let BF know 6 weeks before the IWAS published closing date (or by the BF published closing date, which may be later depending on when we get invitation details) that they wish to attend the event. This is so that referees can be sourced and costed. This is done by completing the form here. Please include details of personal entourages. In line with the WCP athlete agreement, any WCP fencers entering a funded or supported IWAS world cup must have sought prior approval from the WCP in relation to the coaching or support in attendance.

 

Accepting Entry/Selection

By completing a form to be entered you will be automatically entered subject to the minimum standards and eligibility checks and will be liable for the associated costs which will include a share of referee costs.

At the moment BF will not require up front payment to be entered, although this may change in time.

Please note that the BF deadline to accept selection will be at least 2 weeks prior to the published closing date. This is because it takes time to enter athletes on the system, set-up and approve payments as part of the BF payment runs and then international payments can take up to 4 working days to process.

 

Referee Requirement/Costs (not required for Satellites)

BF will source referees, athletes will be equally liable for costs. If 4-7 athletes wish to attend, 1 referee is required, if more than 7 athletes wish to attend then 2 referees are required. A fine of £1,500 (pounds, not euros!) is payable if we cannot source a referee, and athletes will not be required to pay a share of costs greater than the total amount of the fine (BF reserves the right to send a referee even if the costs are greater than £1,500, however BF will subsidise the additional costs). Referee costs will be split equally over all athletes. So if 8 athletes are attending, each athlete will be liable for one eighth of the total cost of sending two referees.

Please note that IWAS qualified referees are entitled to claim the BF referee day rate for the days that they referee at World Cups (£80/day).

In the event that an athlete notifies us that they wish to compete after the published deadline, BF reserves the right to take into consideration the financial impact and resource availability in deciding whether that athlete can still be offered an entry.

 

Personal Coaches

All Personal Coaches travelling with athletes must be on the BF Coach Register and have a valid Coach Clean certificate uploaded into the Sport:80 system.

Entourage members are strongly encouraged to educate themselves – Parents, Carers and Guardians | UK Anti-Doping (ukad.org.uk)

All coaches and entourage members must be registered with BF at least 4 weeks prior to the event.

The UKSI WCP is responsible for designating the support team and coaches for WCP athletes at funded and supported competitions, where appropriate, in line with the Athlete Agreement. Personal coaches that accompany non WCP athletes may not coach and assist WCP athletes at funded and supported competitions without prior permission from the UKSI WCP.

 

Room Rates

Bookings and payments are typically made directly via the official hotel or Local Organising Committee. (Not through the IWAS entry system that BF manages.)

The Room Rate typically includes:

• accommodation
• all meals from dinner on arrival day until breakfast on departure day (hotel or competition venue)
• transportation between International Airport and official hotels
• transportation between official hotels and competition venue

Please refer to the individual event information above for details on how to make accommodation bookings for each event.

It is frequently the case that the accommodation package must be booked at the same time for all squad members. Delays to this process may result in the cost of the accommodation rising and the availability falling. If athletes do not confirm their accommodation requirements with BF by a specified date, BF will make a booking on behalf of the athlete and their entourage (coaches, carers/parents). This will be based on arriving 2 days before their 1st event and leaving the day after their last event.  The athlete will be invoiced in full for that cost. Athletes are encouraged to let us know as early as possible their accommodation requirements to help keep costs down for the whole squad.

 

Travel

Athletes and personal coaches/entourage must organise their own flights, ensuring that they have appropriate insurance (which includes COVID cover) and 24-7 cover in the event of emergencies.

For athletes/entourages that require travel agent services we recommend that you source your own independent travel agent as this is not a service that BF is in a position to provide.

 

Parents/Carers 

Travelling U18s must be accompanied by a parent/guardian.

Under no circumstances is an athlete in the GBR squad to take/be given welfare responsibility for another athlete in the group.

If a BF Team Manager/Coach is in place for the squad is expected that parents/carers will follow the instructions of the Team Manager/Coach and as appropriate maintain their distance from their athlete and other members of the squad to allow athletes to develop the necessary resilience and independence required for future success at major Championships.

Importantly parents/carers must also follow the instructions of the local event organisers.

Parents/guardians must familiarise themselves with the relevant BF Codes of Conduct and UK Anti-Doping rules and are expected to take supportive action where necessary.

 

Visas

BF does not apply for visas. It is the responsibility of individuals to check whether these are required and to apply for visas.

In some cases, BF is required, as the National Federation, to submit passport details of the squad to gain the necessary letter(s) to allow athletes to apply for visas.

Timescales can depend on how quickly athletes submit their passport details and how quickly the invitation letters are turned around by the organising committee. Please do not start contacting IWAS, other National Federations or organising committees without permission from BF, as this can introduce confusion and delay into the process. BF will liaise with the necessary authorities to ensure that we manage this process in the most efficient way possible.

 

Working Hours

The BF office is open Monday to Friday, and details of how to contact us and our office hours can be found here.

BF does not provide weekend administration services or travel support services. This means that if you email us on a Friday afternoon and chase us on a Monday we will rarely have had a chance to take action.

This means that having travel insurance and knowing what you will do in case of standard travelling issues (flight delayed, cancelled, taxi doesn’t show, train is cancelled, COVID test is positive etc) is extremely important.

In case of serious emergencies, please still inform the Para Team Manager who in turn will be responsible for contacting the BF CEO.

 

Reminders

As always, all athletes, coaches, referees and team managers must have their own personal travel insurance which specifically covers them for the activities they are undertaking.

The BF Codes of Conduct applies to all squad members (athletes, coaches, referees, team managers) travelling from the moment they begin their journey to the competition.

All relevant BF policies apply and by accepting selection athletes (and their parents/carers/coaches) are automatically agreeing to these policies which are available on the BF website here.