ANNUAL REPORTThe International Federation of Sports Physical
Therapy (IFSPT) is a worldwide Federation representing
thirty-nine national sports physical therapy organisations.
The IFSPT is the international resource for sports physicaltherapists, serving people and athletes of all ages andabilities.
Join us in our quest to create an environment for safe
participation in sport and physical activity, throughexcellence in education, research, practice, and clinicalspecialization.

The IFSPT Executive Board and Staff, left to right: Ummukulthoum Bakare (NGR), Representative at Large,
Member Research Committee; Carlo Ramponi (ITA), Vice President, Membership Chair; Mary Wilkinson,
Director of Marketing, Marketing Chair; Aleksander Killingmo (NOR), Representative at Large and Assistant
Secretary; Luciana De Michelis Mendonça (BRA), President; Chris Napier (CAN), Secretary, Research Chair;
Suzanne Gard (SUI), Treasurer and Education Committee Chair; Kenneth Watt (UK-Scotland), Representative at
Large and Education Committee.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Mission Statement

Page 2

Table of Contents

Page 3

Board of Directors and Staff

Page 4President’s Report

Page 6

Fourth World Congress of Sports Physical
Therapy

Page 7

Education and Registration Committee

Page 10

Research Committee

Page 11

Financial Committee

Page 13

Communications and Marketing Committee

Page 14

Membership Committee

Page 15

Fifth World Congress of Sports Physical
Therapy - 2024

Page 16

Belgian Partnered Congress - 2023

Page 17

World Physiotherapy Congress - 2023

Page 18
Back CoverMember Organizations

3

EXECUTIVE BOARD
AND STAFF
President - Luciana De
Michelis Mendonça(Brazil)
Luciana has been a
SONAFE (Brazilian National Society of Sports
Physical Therapy) associate since 2007 and has
always engaged to help her
profession grow. She took partin theOrganizing Committees of three SONAFE's Conferences. Moreover, she now has six years of dedication to SONAFE's Executive Board. She is thefirst female president of SONAFE (2016-2017), in acountry with many restrictions to women's participation in sport and politics. Luciana is a teacher in
a Federal University in Brazil (Universidade Federal
dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri - UFVJM) anddevelops research in the Sports Physical Therapy
field. She was the coordinator of a Postgraduate Program in Rehabilitation and was a visiting professor
at UGENT (Ghent, Belgium).

Treasurer - Suzanne Gard
(Switzerland)
Suzanne discovered the
IFSPT when she studied
in the MSc in sports
physiotherapy in Bath.
The MSc was tailored tomeet the 11 competencies
defined by IFSPT. Suzannehas been very active during her
career in developing CPD, organizing courses, conferences, and workshops in Switzerland andinternationally. For five years she taught at the University for physiotherapists in the bachelor’s degreeand postgraduate departments. She travels withteams and works pitch side on major tournaments,and major events like the Olympic Games. Her
work on the board of societies, like EUSSER,RRMES and Sportfisio Swiss, has inspired change
and makes our profession thrive.
Secretary - Chris Napier(Canada)Chris Napier graduatedfrom Curtin University’s
Master of Physiotherapy
program in 2003. While
waiting for his accreditation in Canada, he started
his first sport physiotherapy
job with Vancouver’s professionalsoccer team (the Whitecaps). From there, Chris
worked with a variety of sports and abilities including basketball, field hockey, alpine skiing, andathletics. He has been part of the medical team for
the Pan Am, Commonwealth, and Summer andWinter Olympic Games, as well as multiple WorldChampionships in Alpine Skiing and Athletics.
Chris began volunteering his time to Sport Physiotherapy Canada shortly after graduating, joining theprovincial section executive where he served for 10
years (2005-2015) before joining the national
executive (2016-2020). While on the national
executive, Chris brought the World Congress ofSports Physical Therapy to Canada where it was
successfully staged in conjunction with a revitalized
Sport Physiotherapy Canada Congress in 2019. He
obtained his Sport Physiotherapy Canada Diploma
in 2007, be- came a Registered International Sports
Physical Therapist in 2017, and went on to com-

Vice President - Carlo S.
Ramponi (Italy)
Carlo Ramponi started towork in sport rehabilitationa few months after completing his Physiotherapy
degree, working with professional athletes and or teams.
His principal interests are muscle injuries, ACL and shoulder instability rehabilitation. He works as part of the healthteam in Kinè rehab center, in national teams and in
sports clubs. He has also been involved in professional association committees for many years.
Carlo is a former president of the Group of ItalianSports Physical Therapists (GISPT). The GISPT is ayoung group which started in 1997and joined IFSPT
for the first time in 2001. He completed his Postgraduate diploma in SPORT Rehabilitation at the
University of Genoa in 2007. Carlo teaches in SPT
Postgraduate diploma at the Biomedical Campus
University in Rome and in Physio graduate course
at the Padoa University. He is serving IFSPT also as
chair of the membership committee with the final
goal to engage more MOs and support ourcommunity to increase together in power andstrength.
4

plete his PhD (Running Biomechanics and Injury
Prevention) in 2018. He currently serves as Sport
Physiotherapy Canada’s liaison with the IFSPT and
Chairs the Sport Physiotherapy Canada Conference
Organizing Committee.

Member at Large - Ummukulthoum Bakare(Nigeria)
Ummukulthoum Bakare
completed her Doctorate
in Physical Therapy at
the University of
Witwatersrand in South
Africa. Her research is
focused on women’sfootball and injury prevention. She is a founding
member of the NigerianSports Physiotherapy Associationand is active indisseminating the FIFA11+ injury
prevention programme in her native country andacross Africa.

Member-at-large - Kenneth
Watt (UK)
Kenny is an experienced
musculoskeletal and sports
physiotherapist based in
Edinburgh, Scotland. He isa Director and Consultant
Physiotherapist at project:physio, where he specialises ismusculoskeletal, sports, and orthopaedic rehabilitation. Prior to joining the IFSPT
board, Kenny spent 6 years as the Regional Representative for Scotland for the Association of Chartered Physiotherapists in Sports and Exercise
Medicine, taking an active role in the organisationand development of CPD opportunities and networking events.

Her passion has centred around the sports of football, basketball and para-athletes. She received
her Bachelor of Physical Therapy and her Masters
of Physical Therapy from the College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria. Ummukulthoum has worked as a physical therapist since2001 and has won several awards for her service locally, regionally and internationally. She is amember of the Medical and Scientific Commissionof the Nigeria Olympic Committee and an
Associate Editor for the British Journal of Sports Medicine.

Kenny has presented at a number of national sports
medicine conferences, as well as appearing on anumerous clinical webinars. His sports work includes 4 World University Games and 3 Commonwealth Games with Team GBR and Team Scotland
respectively. He continues to work actively in national and international level sport.

Staff
Mary Wilkinson Director of Marketing
Mary Wilkinson ispresident of Opus DesignGroup, a marketing-based
creative company inIndianapolis, Indiana.
Mary’s background spansmany consumer and business tobusiness fields; however, she has worked in thehealthcare field for 35 years, and with physicaltherapists for 25. Mary’s responsibilities for the
IFSPT include marketing strategy and execution,communications with both member organizations
and outside organizations, event execution, marketing support for member organizations, and strategicplanning consultation for the Board of Directors.
She also is responsible for graphic design and website management, as well as coordination of RISPTs.

Member at Large Aleksander Killingmo(Norway)
Aleksander has been aboard member of theNorwegian Sports Physical Therapist Organization since 2015. Hisconnections with decision
makers in Norway has alreadyresulted in new partnerships for IFSPT.
Aleksander promotes partnership and collaboration
with large international organizations such as FIFA,IOC, IAAF, and FIS. He suggests IFSPT should be acentral consultant in arranging sport events,
leagues and teams regarding the need for a sports
physiotherapist and a guarantor for the quality ofsports physiotherapists. Aleksander’s goal is to position IFSPT as the "go to" organiza- tion for everyone
in need of a Sports Physiotherapist!

A many-times-over award winner for her creativeand marketing campaigns, Mary began work with
the IFSPT in 2005, becoming the Marketing Director in 2011. She has served under every president of
the IFSPT. She is also Executive Director of theInternational Journal of Sports Physical Therapy.

5

PRESIDENT’S REPORT
2022
Luciana De Michelis Mendonça
The Executive Board (EB) is working in a moreorganized and connected way than ever! In 2022,
our main tasks were to move the IFSPT bankaccount out of the United States to Switzerland,
register the IFSPT in the country that would
receive our bank account, and increase IFSPT
income through sponsorships and collaborative
paid learning opportunities.

Kristian Thorborg. It was the first time that sessions
were delivered in partnership with the BJSM andabout athlete’s voice! For sure the pandemic interfered with the lower-than-expected attendance. We
hope we can increase the participation in future
events. Thanks to all the attendees!
It is exciting that the IFSPT is in process of twoconsensus statements: one about Physical Activity,
led by Mette Aadahl and Kristian Thorborg, andanother for updating the IFSPT competencies, led
by Chris Napier and Maria Constantinou. We also
maintain a solid relationship with the IJSPT. TheIFSPT Research and Education Committees areworking closely to IJSPT to improve this partnership.

The decision of where to open our bank account
was based on information related to the ability toperform transactions online, which are not allowedin the United States due to security concerns.
IFSPT decided to move the bank account to Switzerland, due to its robust experience in internationalbanking. For that, we were required to have the
IFSPT registered in that country. Because of the
Swiss laws, and also an updated alignment requested by World Physiotherapy, the EB has once
again revised our by-laws. The team worked hardon the articles review. With all steps running well,
we received approval during the General Meeting
and we can now proceed in publishing our new bylaws.

During 2022 I was invited to speak at several
conferences, mostly delivered by our member organizations. I represented the IFSPT in conferencesin Denmark, for the 4th WCSPT, and Paris (both onsite); Japan, Korea, Norway, Belgium, Switzerland,
Greece, Finland and United Kingdom (all online).
Last of all, I appreciate all EB members and Mary
Wilkinson’s efforts towards IFSPT growth! We must
be aware, always, that the mission of IFSPT is to be
the main source for sports PT and to bring sports
physical therapy awareness globally, for all!

World Physiotherapy delivered a face-to-facesummit March 12 and 13, 2022, with all subgroups
and member organizations to discuss strategic planning for the upcoming years. As president, I participated, representing the IFSPT. IFSPT has submitted
two proposals for focus symposia for the 2023 World
Physiotherapy Congress and one has been
approved! IFSPT will also deliver a networking
session during the congress.

Sincerely,

IFSPT President Luciana De Michelis
Mendonça

IFSPT had a successful Fourth World
Congress of Sports Physical Therapy in Nyborg, Denmark, in August 26 and 27, 2022. The
quality of all sessions,speakers, and being able tomeet people again after the
pandemic, as well as sports
activities offered during lunch
breaks, made this unique congress magic. I appreciate theefforts of the organizing committee and scientific committee
represented by Lars Damsbo and6FOURTH WORLD CONGRESS OF
SPORTS PHYSICAL THERAPY
AUGUST 25-27, 2022
On August 25-27, the Danish Sports Physical Grouphosted the world at the Fourth World Congress ofSports Physical Therapy. Over 475 people from 37
countries met in Nyborg, Denmark, about
one hour from Copenhagen, directlyon the ocean. The star-studded
speaker list was a draw for
those fresh out of the gatefrom COVID-19 restrictions,along with the many social
and networking opportunities.

The official General Meeting followed where several important topics were reviewed and voted
upon, including the revisions to our Articles,
member benefit initiatives, educational
opportunities and more.
The day wrapped up with a 1 km
stroll down the beach for a
joint delegate/speakerdinner and plenty of time
for socializing.
DAY ONE: AUGUST 26
Karen Litzy (US) and Professor Kristian Thorborg(DK) presented the opening ceremony, followed bya symposium on the Unbreakable Young World Athlete. Presenters
Ummukulthoum Bakare (NGR),
Dr. Mario Bizzini (SUI), and Dr. Luciana De Michelis Mendonça (BRA) werefeatured, while the symposium was chaired by
Karen Kotila (DK), and Professor Thorborg.

IFSPT EVENTS:
AUGUST 25
Thursday, August 25
kicked off with a working
session of the IFSPT Boardof Directors. This was the firsttime our entire current Executive Board was able to meetface to face, due to COVID restrictions.
The four hour working session carried overthrough lunch before the IFSPT Networking Session, where Member Organizations were able toshare their thoughts and ideas freely. Over 60
individuals representing 30 Member Organizations
were present for the discussions.

Symposia regarding the adolescent athlete,tendinopathy, muscle injury prevention, as well as

Delegates, attendees and IFSPT board members areshown outside the main hall after the IFSPTGeneral Meeting in Nyborg, Denmark.
7

Kristian Thorborg and Karen Litzy discuss the
success of vodcasts in reaching international
members.

five parallelsessions and theinfographic
competition followed.

Chris Napier (CAN), IFSPTSecretary and Research
Chair, Eduardo Tonarelli(ARG), Pablo Policastro(ARG) and Luciana De
Michelis Mendonça (BRA),IFSPT President, celebrate
after the presentation of theinaugural Alfa Care Award.

or central changes. After a networking coffee break,five parallel sessions were repeated twice to allow
participants to make multiple selections.

In the evening, aGala dinner washeld with music anddancing following. The
first annual

The afternoon finished with two symposia: physical activity: that the sports physical therapist needs
to know, and motivation for exercise as medicine.
Next, the oral abstract competition was held,featuring the six best rated abstracts.
The closing ceremony, complete with an inspiring
video, was presented by Dr. Luciana De Michelis Mendonça, Brazil, IFSPT president, and Lars Damsbo, Denmark,
DSSF president.
NEW THIS YEAR
New to this World
Congress were physical activity breaks in the middleof the day for participants. Organized activities
such as yoga and beachvolleyball, were provided,
as well as time for attendees to do their own activities
or network. These breaks were
well-received by participants,
who also enjoyed the healthy bag
lunches provided for them.

Alfa Care award waspresented to Eduardo Tondellifrom Argentina, as well asawards for the infographic
competition.
Throughout the day, networking breaks were held to allow
participants to connect with one
another, the speakers and with our
exhibitors and sponsors.
DAY TWO: AUGUST 26
The day began with a symposium on the brain in
sports related injury/pain: Local structural damage

Coffee breaks were also extended to allow
8

The IFSPT board and Danish organizing committee
Berit Duus, Christina Stavngaard, Bente Andersen,
Lars Damsbo, Lisbeth Pedersen, and Kasper
Spoorendonkrelax following the closing ceremony.
Thank you for an amazing Congress!

Mario Bizzini(SUI) andMary
Wilkinson,
IFSPT Directorof Marketing,catch up at acoffee break.

attendees plenty of time to visit with the generous
exhibitors and sponsors present, as well as one
another!
Thank you to all who traveled to Denmark to join
us! If you weren’t with us…we missed you! Plan
now to attend the Fifth World Congress of Sports
Physical Therapy in Oslo, Norway, June 13-14,2024, and the iFSPT and BSSP partnered course inBrussels, Belgium, September 21-23, 2023.

The IFSPT board confers with the BelgianFederation of Sports Physiotherapy to plan
the joint conference in 2023. Shown with the
IFSPT board are Didier Florentz, Séverine
Abellaneda, and Jo Verschueren.

The Tennis Band rocks the night away
following the Gala dinner.

9

EDUCATION AND
REGISTRATION COMMITTEE
Suzanne Gard, Chair
The IFSPT education and registration committee ischaired by Suzanne Gard (Switzerland) and
Kenneth Watt (UK), and includes members Aleksander Killingmo (Norway), Chris Napier (Canada),and Ummukulthoum Bakare (Nigeria).

We have thirteen Countries with approved
pathways.
RISPT numbers as of December 31, 2022:
Australia: 43
Belgium: 5
Canada: 119
Denmark: 9
Ireland: 3
Italy: 13
Netherlands: None
Norway: 8
New Zealand: 2
Sweden: 11
Switzerland: 4
United Kingdom: 29
Total: 246 active

The RISPT subcommittee is comprised of Colin
Paterson (UK) chair, Bente Andersen (Denmark),
Maria Constantinou (Australia), and Sian Harries(UK), with support from Mary Wilkinson, Directorof Marketing, for execution of RISPT tracking andcertification.
The aim is to promote educational material andshare educational resources relevant for sports
physical therapists among mem¬bers, and to support Member Organizations (MOs) in developing
their own professional developmental pathways, aswell as support countries in gaining RISPT approval
for pathways, and promote individuals who become
Registered International Sports Physical Therapists(RISPTs).

Unfortunately, on December 31, 2021, United States
RISPTs lost their status as the United States sports
group did not move to rejoin IFSPT. We look forward in hopes of the United States returning to
IFSPT, and its qualified members re-applying for
RISPT status.

EDUCATION: GOING FORWARD
After several networking sessions, meetings anddiscussions, it was agreed by the IFSPT executive
board that IFSPT must develop educational resources and content. In addition, the entire EB has
explored how to fund and support low-income
Countries in relation to the education program.

Five MOs have started the process to apply for approval of their pathway. In 2023, we plan to develop more standard information to help our MOs
achieve this goal.

The Education committee is working on a projectfor 2023 that will be of great value for IFSPT
members.
Also, the IFSPT competencies are being reviewed
for the need to update the content and this task will
be taken by the Research Committee. This revision
will generate new Education content.
REGISTRATION: CONTINUOUS GROWTH
The number of RISPTs is growing and the larger
this community, the more interest it raises. We arevery happy to help our MOs build a recognized
CPD pathway and to assist them in applying for
RISPT recogni¬tion. Ultimately it helps in raising
the quality of care for athletes of all ages and abilities across the world.

10

RESEARCH COMMITTEE
Chris Napier, Chair
The IFSPT research committee includes Research
Chair Chris Napier, Canada; Bakare Ummukulthoum, Nigeria; Derya Ozer Kaya, Turkey; Alexandre Rambaud, France; Jo Verschueren, Belgium;and Ben Waller, Finland. The main focus of the
IFSPT research committee is translation anddissemination of research relevant for the sports
physical therapy community. The IFSPT researchcommittee has in 2022 worked towards bringing
relevant national scientific sports physical therapy
research environments and scientific journals towork closer together with national IFSPT member
organizations to facilitate more research translationand dissemination.

A Consensus Statement on How to Assess,
Prescribe, Facilitate and Maintain Physical
Activity as Medicine,” held the day after the World
Congress close. The meeting was led by Prof.
Mette Aadahl and Prof. Kristian Thorborg, withfour chairs for each topic: Assess (Prof. Mette
Aadahl and Dr. Søren Skou); Advise/Prescribe(Dr. Jane Thornton and Dr. Thomas Bandholm);and Facilitate and Maintain (Dr. Heidi Klakk andProf. Julie Midtgaard) to drive the writing phaseof each of these sections in the Consensus paper.
• Applications for symposia and workshops atmajor conferences. The Research Committee has
been very successful this year with regards tosymposia and workshops at significant global
conferences. The IFSPT hosted a workshop at
Isokinetic Medical Congress in Lyon in May,
directed by Bakare Ummukulthoum, IFSPT
board member, and Mario Bizzini, former IFSPTThe main achievements during 2022 were
• Fourth World Congress of Sports Physical
Therapy. After a 3-year hiatus, approximately 500
members of the international sports physicaltherapy community gathered in Nyborg,
Denmark for a stellar scientific and social
program. We thank our Danish hosts and lookforward to gathering again in two years for theFifth World Congress of Sports Physical Therapy
in Oslo, Norway!
• IFSPT Consensus Statement on Physical Activity
in conjunction with the Fourth World Congress ofSports Physical Therapy, Denmark. KristianThorborg (Denmark) organized a Consensus
Meeting on “Sports Physical Therapists’ andDoctors’ Roles as Physical Activity Consultants:

Above: Morten Høgh presents a
session on Pain and Sport at
WCSPT4.
Left: Speakers for the IFSPT Session
at the ISOKINETIC Conference in
Lyon. Left to right: UmmukulthoumBakare, NGR; Amy Arundale, US
and Austria; Mario Bizzini, SUI;
Karen Kotila, DEN; Osman Ahmed,
UK; Suzanne Gard, SUI; andAlexandre Rambaud, FRA.
11

The IFSPT Research Committee completed
its most proliﬁc year in 2022.
board member. The Research Committee has also
been awarded a focused symposium at the World
Physiotherapy Congress to be held in Dubai in
June 2023.

- Pain in Athletes: Current Knowledge andChallenges by Rafael Krasic Alaiti andFelipe J.J. Reis.
•. AlfaCare Award for early-career sportphysiotherapists. The Research Committee
initiated a new award made available out of thegenerosity of our new sponsor, AlfaCare. Thisaward is for €1000 and is aimed at passionate
early career sports physiotherapists to assist themto attend the World Congress of Sports Physical
Therapy. This year’s award winner, Eduardo
Tondelli from Argentina, was publicly honoured
at the Gala of the World Congress of Sports
Physical Therapy on August 26, 2022 byrepresentatives from AlfaCare and IFSPT. The
winner of this award is expected to share theknowledge they obtained with their peers once
they return home.

• Establish resources through research
dissemination in different languages. An informal
partnership between the IFSPT and the Argentinode Kinesiologia del Deporte (Argentina) totranslate IJSPT articles into Spanish for theirbi-monthly journal has so far resulted in threetranslated articles in 2022. We are seeking further
similar partnerships with MOs in South America,
Africa, and Asia.
• The IFSPT Perspective in International Journal ofSports Physical Therapy (IJSPT). In 2022, thefollowing articles have been published- Return to Play After a Shoulder Injury: Let’s Not Put
the Cart Before the Horse! by Pablo Oscar
Policastro and Paula Rezende Camargo• Consensus statement on Sports Physiotherapy
Competencies. Work has commenced on an
update to the 2005 Sports Physiotherapy
Competencies and Standards from the Sports
Physiotherapy For All project. The aim is to bringthese competencies up to date to reflect current
competencies and standards expected of Sports
Physiotherapy specialists globally.

- Injury Prevention in Women’s Gymnastics – A Needfor New Routines by Charlotte Anker-Petersen
and Kristian Thorborg- Addressing Psychological Factors in Sports Injury
Rehabilitation – What is a Physical Therapist to do?
by Niklas Cederström, Simon Granér, and Eva
Ageberg- The only certainties in life
are…wait, I pay no taxes,
and I’m not dead, yet. A letterfrom Qatar by Rod Whiteley

12

FINANCE COMMITTEE
Suzanne Gard, Chair
This year, the finance committee worked to
improve IFSPT’s efficiency from a financial point ofview. As you know, IFSPT is just covering its costs,
and the plan is to try and have some income to develop content for its member organisations.

10,000 EUR was budgeted as income from the Congress, which was the profit in past Congresses.
There are many reasons for thissituation, some due to the recent return to travel
after the pandemic. In the future, Congresses will
be monitored differently by the IFSPT.

POSITIVE NEWSIFSPT transferred, following the vote in the General
Meeting, the bank account and the association registration to Switzerland to give IFSPT more
flexibility in the day to day management.

The financial situation of IFSPT is still balanced as
we made a provision for unexpected events in thebudget and thanks to our sponsors. We will finish
the year stronger financially than in recent years.

Member Organizations also accepted a new fee
structure, with a price per person that will help
IFSPT to stabilize its income. This new structuregoes into effect for the 2023 calendar year.
IFSPT is grateful for our platinum sponsor, Alfa
Care, for their support to the mission of the federation. IFSPT also signed with a new Sponsor,
Physitrack. Watch for more information on
both!
IFSPT intends to begin a series of webinars in
2023 that will not only provide cost-effective
education for our members, but also generatesome additional income.
CHALLENGES
The Fourth World Congress of Sports Physical
Therapy, while enjoyed by its participants due toits interesting speakers, networking and social
events, did not generate any income for IFSPT or
for the Danish organization. This
was a set back for IFSPT, as

13

COMMUNICATIONS AND
MARKETING COMMITTEE
Mary Wilkinson, Chair
Marketing and communications are essential for a
global organization such as IFSPT. IFSPT’s
Marketing Committee is hands on in the service of
the Executive Board, the Federation, and all
Member Organizations. Mary Wilkinson, presidentof Opus Design Group, serves as Director ofMarketing and leads this Committee. Kenneth Watt,
Representative at Large, is also part of the team toassist with social media duties and to spearhead
new Facebook Live and RISPT social media projects. New initiatives via Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn have tripled IFSPT’s reach insocial media!

munications guidance, as well as implementing resources for exposure of conferences and educational opportunities through IFSPT’s website andnetworking.

Marketing works closely with the Executive Boardon many projects, and with the President, VicePresident, Treasurer and Secretary in evaluating
initiatives and helping to maintain administrative
systems within the Federation. In addition, Marketing works to assist in strategic planning,development and execution with the EB.

• Website revisions and maintenance

Activities in 2022 also included• Consistent newsletters, sent every other month.
Marketing is also responsible for all email andsocial media communications on behalf of the
IFSPT.
• Reaching out to member organizations to solicit
articles and information for our newsletter andwebsite.
• Management of the RISPT process for the
Education and Registration Committee, including
application processing, reminders for renewal,
production and dissemination of certificates andmaintenance of the roster.
• Support for the Membership Committee incommunications with our MOs and facilitating
our networking sessions.

The largest initiative for Marketing this year was
promotion of the Fourth World Congress of Sports
Physical Therapy. IFSPT Marketing created literally
hundreds of graphics, posts, Tweets and email communications in both English and Danish to drive
attendees to the WCSPT. Marketing was also
responsible for much of the “behind the scenes”
work for the Board Meeting and General Meeting in
Nyborg.

• Support for the Treasurer in facilitating payments,
accessing records and working through logistics ofmanaging the United States bank. This
responsibility will no longer be necessary in 2023
with conversion to the Swiss bank.
• Support for all members of the EB and allcommittees as needed to facilitatecommunications and execute projects

Marketing is responsible for soliciting and providing benefits for our sponsors, such as social media
posts, e-communications, exposure at events andmore. This is a core activity for this team and was alarge part of Marketing efforts in 2022. This teamalso seeks out and provides tools for exposure for
IFSPT at MO and partner events. The support ofSportfisio Swiss was much appreciated with the
IFSPT display in the exposition hall at their 20th
anniversary Sportfisio Symposium November 4. A
group of 550 attendees also saw IFSPT through thegreetings from President Luciana De Michelis Mendonça and graphics splashed across the congresshall screen.

• Dissemination of relevant research articles andpodcasts on social media (Twitter, Instagram,
LinkedIN and Facebook).
Marketing is anxious to hear from your Member
Organizations (MO) so that we may share your activities with your fellow MOs! Please submit news
and articles to Mary Wilkinson at
mwilkinson@ifspt.org. In addition, any MO thatwishes to have our newsletters sent directly to theirmembers, please feel free to send a simple Excel
spreadsheet including first name, last name andemail, and we will send the newsletters and ourcommunications to them on your behalf! We will
not use these emails for any other purpose.

Marketing also serves as a resource for Member
Organizations in providing marketing and com14

MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEECarlo Ramponi, Chair
The IFSPT Membership Committee is currently
comprised of Carlo Ramponi (Italy, Chair), Ummukulthoum Bakare (Nigeria), Aleksander Killingmo(Norway) and Kenneth Watt (UK-Scotland).

• In accordance with and under guidance fromWorld Physiotherapy, the committee has
designed and proposed a new IFSPT Fee
structure. Member organisations were provided
with an outline of the proposal and the proposal
was discussed among MO representatives. The
new fee structure was approved at the recent
General meeting.

The IFSPT community is currently made up of
thirty-nine MOs (almost 15,000 physios). This
number has recently increased thanks to four new
MOs approved during the last General Meeting.
The main achievements of 2022 were:• Explore projects to enhance the networking
between our Member Organisations• Manage, support, guide and welcome new MOs:
Cameroon, Israel, Poland, and Slovenia.

• Update membership application forms• Contact and explore new MO candidates forjoining the IFSPT community• Assist, through digital technology, all MOs withany information and clarification.

We would like to thank all members for their collaboration and engagement during networking sessions and communications. The IFSPT
membership committee is pleased to see increased
enthusiasm inside our community.

• Manage three delegate remote networking
sessions (February, May and November 2022) and
one face-to-face networking session at WCSPT,
last August.
- Sessions well attended by delegates from aroundthe globe.
- Sessions have been designed to follow two
streams that will run consecutively:
Administration focused and Educational
focused. Sessions have been designed aroundcommunication of ongoing and upcoming IFSPT
projects as well as opportunities for member
organisation delegates to interact with eachother.
• Manage the Delegate Slack project: establishmentof networking tool to provide platform formember organisations to interact closely witheach other.

15

FIFTH WORLD CONGRESS OF
SPORTS PHYSICAL THERAPY
OSLO, NORWAY | JUNE 14-15, 2024

Mark your calendars for the Fifth World
Congress of Sports Physical Therapy!

The Fifth World Congress will feature everything
our members have come to expect from the World
Congress: engaging sessions, speakers who areexpert in their field and global diversity. Networking events and social opportunities are part of theplans for the Fifth World Congress as well.

From Research to Clinical Practice will be held
June 14-15, 2024, in Oslo, Norway. The IFSPT Networking Session and General Meeting and election
will be held on June 13. Most activities will be heldat the conference center at the Clarion Hotel.

Be sure to watch for early bird registration. Registerand reserve your accommodations as soon as possible to ensure the best prices.

The scientific programme is nearly complete, andregistration will open by the beginning of February.

We look forward to seeing all of you in Oslo next
year! Stay tuned for more details.

The IFSPT board and Norwegian WCSPT5
organizing committee members Kurt Tomas Nyheim
and Kenneth Martinsen.

16PARTNERED CONGRESS BFSP & IFSPTBRUSSELS, BELGIUMSEPTEMBER 21-23, 2023

Join our hosts the Belgian Federation of Sports
Physiotherapy and the IFSPT in a partnered Congress, September 22-23, 2023, in beautiful Brussels,
Belgium!

vibrant city with many attractions, and is easily
reached via plane, train or automobile.
The scientific programme is nearly complete andwill be released early in the New Year, when registration will be opened.

This conference will also host an IFSPT networking
session and general meeting the afternoon of
September 21. During this meeting, IFSPT elections
will be held for the next four year term, so we hope
to see many of our delegates at this meeting! Social
events and networking opportunities are alsoplanned. What’s more, Brussels is a beautiful andBe sure to put this important event on yourcalendar and plan to join the IFSPT and BFSPT in
Belgium!.

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WORLD PHYSIOTHERAPY CONGRESSDUBAI
JUNE 2-3, 2023

The World Physiotherapy Congress 2023 will beheld at Dubai World Trade Centre, Dubai's epicentre for events and business in the heart of the city.

• Join a range of informal sessions in the exhibitionarea including our popular Indaba sessions,industry workshops and campfires

Dubai is the largest and most populous city in the
United Arab Emirates (UAE). On the southeast
coast of the Persian Gulf, it is the capital of the Emirate of Dubai, one of the seven emirates that makeup UAE.

If you can't make it to Dubai we have an online
event option, 23-25 June 2023, that includes
recorded content and live Q&A discussions withpresenters from the in-person event
THE IFSPT AT WP 2023
Dr. Luciana De Michelis Mendonça, IFSPTPresident, is a member of the World Physiotherapy
Congress programme committee (CPC), supportingIFSPT’s active role in WP. IFSPT will present a networking session at WP 2023 and will participate inother programme educational sessions.

WHY ATTEND?
• Meet your international colleagues face to face forthe first time in four years.
• Learn from world experts and leaders in theirfield as they share the latest findings.
• Listen to global perspectives on the profession’s
hot topics – reflecting experiences in low, middle
and high income countries/territories.
• Discover new ways of thinking and the latest
research to inform how you practice – 80% of
previous participants said gaining new knowledge
was a key benefit of attending.
• Over 130 scientific programme sessions to choose
from, and over 800 poster and ePoster
presentations across the event.
• 80% of previous participants rated their congressexperience as good or excellent.
• 79% said they were likely to recommend
attending a World Physiotherapy congress to acolleague or friend.
• A large exhibition showcasing the industry’s latest
innovations and services, including a startup zone
and industry workshops.
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Dubai's culture is firmly rooted in the Islamic
traditions of Arabia. Courtesy and hospitality areamong the most highly prized of virtues. Most
forms of dress are acceptable, provided they aremodest, covering knees and shoulders.
Dubai society is marked by a high degree oftolerance for different lifestyles. International
visitors are free to practice their own religion, andalcohol is served in hotels. Women face nodiscrimination and may drive and walk around unescorted. Despite rapid economic development inrecent years, Dubai remains close to its heritage.
Local citizens dress in traditional robes and headdress.

KEY DATES
Registration and housing opens OPEN!
October 2022
Abstract outcomes
January 2023
Final programme announced
March 2023
Advance registration deadline (in-person
event only)
15 May 2023

Public displays of affection are best kept to aminimum. Kissing and hugging in public places is
not permitted.

In-person congress
2-4 June 2023

Dubai’s public transport system is a safe and costeffective way to reach Dubai World Trade Centre
from key locations around the city.

Advance registration deadline (online event
only)
16 June 2023

JOIN US IN DUBAI
Join the IFSPT and all World Physiotherapy
subgroups and member organizations in Dubai in
2023 to share ideas, research, practice, education,
policy, and service innovation.

Online event
23-25 June 2023

For more information, go tohttps://wp2023.world.physio/“One of the benefits of a live, face-to-face Congressis the ability to interface with your fellow
colleagues around the world,” Dr. Mendonça says.
“While we have all become used to online education and communication, with the break of the pandemic World Physiotherapy recognizes the need toreturn to live communication with one another.
The IFSPT saw this in action at our Fourth World
Congress in Denmark in 2022.”
INFORMATION ABOUT DUBAI
A global city and business hub of the Middle East,
in 2018, Dubai was named as the world's second
safest country and 20th happiest country. Bordered
by deserts and beaches, Dubai provides stark
contrasts, from intriguing Islamic culture to theultra-modern, high-tech metropolis of the 21st
century. The Emirate is an international conference, exhibition, and leisure destination. Expo 2020
has hosted more than three million visitors from
190 countries/territories.

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MEMBER ORGANIZATIONS
Argentina

Japan

Australia

Luxembourg

Austria

Netherlands

Belgium

New Zealand

Bulgaria

Nigeria

Brazil

NorwayCameroon

PolandCanadaPortugal

Chile

Saudi Arabia

CyprusSlovenia

DenmarkSouth Africa

Finland

South Korea

FranceSpain

Germany

SwedenGreeceSwitzerland

Hong Kong

ThailandIndonesia

TurkeyIrelandUnited Kingdom

IsraelZambiaItaly

www.ifspt.org@IntFSPT