FIAS Athletes Commission elected the new Chairperson

The composition of the FIAS Athletes Commission, renewed following the results of the 2023 elections, elected its new leader. Based on the results of voting held electronically, the representative of the Philippines, Sydney Sy, who joined the Commission for the second time, was elected as a chairperson.

It was with the announcement of the results of the vote on the appointment of the chairman that the first official meeting of the Commission this year began, which took place on January 17. The position of Chairperson will grant Sydney Sy automatically a seat as member of the FIAS Executive Committee in accordance with the FIAS Statutes, where she will represent all SAMBO athletes’ interests and be a voice of the Athletes Commission.

The mission of the chairperson is to promote the athletes' commission as a safe space for the athletes where they can go with their questions, to voice out their ideas and thoughts, carry out programs that will benefit SAMBO athletes, and support and formulate creative ideas.

"Coming from a country that just recently started the development of the sport, it became my mission to represent SAMBO in my country, the Philippines, and the Southeast Asia region. I applied for a position in the Athlete's Commission as a member back in 2019 because I was inspired by my predecessor Mrs. Laure Fournier - a great athlete, an eloquent speaker, and a fantastic mentor. SAMBO has given me great opportunities to develop not only my athletic career but also helped me in my personal growth as an individual.

Now that I will be chairing this commission, it's my responsibility to create friendships and a safe space for my fellow athletes to speak up and voice their thoughts so that the sport will continue to grow and thrive through the athletes' voices," Sydney Sy said.

At the online meeting, the members of the Athletes Commission congratulated the new Chairperson, discussed their objectives, and aims for the short and long periods, and structured the schedule following the interests of achieving common goals to develop SAMBO for athletes and increase worldwide recognition.