c/o the Nihon Ki-in, 7-2, Gobancho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 102-8668
E-mail: igf@nihonkiin.or.jp  Fax: 03-3262-1527

To: 	The European Go Federation

Attn.:	Member Organisations and the Executive

Ref.:	IGF European Director’s Report

CC.:	Yamamoto Riichi, Secretary-General IGF

								Amsterdam, 30th of June 2005

Dear Members,

In the last year the IGF has experienced some highs and lows. By far the most tragic event was the death of our president Kato Masao. On 30th December 2005, only 57 years old, he passed away due to a cerebral infarction. With his unique personal style, Kato Sensei was a very inspiring player, a player who appealed very much to the European way of enjoying Go. This cosmopolitan style was also apparent in his new career as president of the Nihon Ki-in and the International Go Federation (IGF). In these new roles Kato Sensei was equally goal-oriented, working to unite the world of Go. He started by creating a very fruitful cooperation among the three main Go-playing countries at the successful summit held last November.

Only weeks before Kato Sensei fell ill, the IGF lost our previous president Toshimitsu Matsuo. On 9th November he died of heart failure at the age of 80. As a former president of Japan Airlines, Mr.Toshimitsu was a strong leader, with great dedication to the international promotion of Go.

The IGF is indebted to these great men. They will live in our memory. On behalf of the IGF we want to thank all for their condolences. 

At the General Meeting held in Nagoya on 17th May 2005, Kudo Norio, was elected as president of the IGF. Fujisawa Kazunari succeeded Mr. Kudo as Office Director. Also, Ms. Umezawa Yukari joined the Board of Directors of the IGF.

One of the main achievements of the IGF recently is securing membership of the General Association of International Sport Federations (GAISF), which means achieving international recognition of the game of Go. 

Membership of the GAISF has opened the door to cooperation with the other mind sport federations already recognized by GAISF or the International Olympic Committee (IOC), namely bridge, chess and checkers. At a meeting at the GAISF headquarters in Monaco in October last year, we agreed to form a federation to pursue common aims. 

At the SportAccord meeting in Berlin in April this year, organized by GAISF in cooperation with the IOC, a declaration was signed concerning the founding of the International Mind Sport Association (IMSA). The objectives of the IMSA include among others: 
•	to realize the inclusion of mind sports in the Olympic Movement and
•	to organize the World Mind Sport Games under the auspices of the GAISF and IOC.

Erik Puyt will represent the IGF on the executive committee of the IMSA, in which he has been appointed Secretary-General. You will have already seen the press release and more information about the IMSA is available on the EGF website.

Our key purpose is the global promotion of the game of Go. Your association, a member of the IGF, should get access to the many possibilities related to being included in the national sports infrastructure. To assist you in achieving equal inclusion the IGF office or the European IGF Directors can help you to get in contact with your National Olympic Committee or Sports Authority and other Mind Sport Associations in your country. 

On the global level, our level of cooperation will be highlighted by the organization of the World Mind Sports Games. Supported by the GAISF and in consultation with the IOC, the IMSA aims to use the Olympic infrastructure, possibly as early as Beijing 2008.

For the near future, we have a clear time path:
1.	Become a full member of the GAISF at the SportAccord meeting in Seoul in 2006;
2.	Prepare an application for recognition by the IOC together with the FMJD in 2007;
3.	Next to 1 and 2, study the format and prepare the organization of the World Mind Sport Games.

The board of directors is pleased with the support of all our members for these developments. At the request of our former president Kato Masao, several members have agreed to give an additional one-time contribution for expenses related to achieving inclusion in the Olympic movement and realising the objectives of the IMSA. 

Recent global developments have made the IGF office feel a necessity to reconsider the lines of communication. As you know, this has resulted in a different format for the IGF publication Ranka, combined with a newly developed and to-be-expanded web page, provisionally posted at:
 			   http://www.nihonkiin.or.jp/igf/

The IGF office depends on your contributions to develop this web page. Please send a report about the activities in your country by 31st January 2006. You can contact John Power at the IGF office with questions about the format.

In conclusion, we hope this report improves your understanding of the activities of the IGF.
Should you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

With best regards,

Erik Puyt					Martin Stiassny,
Vice-president IGF				Director IGF
Secretary General IMSA