21 Jan 2022

FITEQ receives TAFISA Award for global CSR efforts

FITEQ has been presented with the International Sports Organisation (ISO) of the Month Award as part of TAFISA’s INTERACT (International and European Sport Organisations Activate Citizens) project.

The International Teqball Federation (FITEQ) is delighted to have been recognised by The Association For International Sport for All (TAFISA) for its efforts in the area of CSR and sustainability. FITEQ has been presented with the International Sports Organisation (ISO) of the Month Award as part of TAFISA’s INTERACT (International and European Sport Organisations Activate Citizens) project.

The INTERACT project, which is co-funded by the Erasmus+ Programme of the European Union, aims to support international sport organisations with the development of their sport for all activities and increase grassroots participation. FITEQ Head of CSR and Diplomatic Relations Gergely Murányi spoke to the INTERACT team about the teqball family’s ambition to use the sport’s global reach to leave lasting legacy in communities around the world.

“Sport for All is at the heart of everything we do. In fact, our vision is to enable every person to participate in teqball and para teqball and to allow all involved to reach their full potential, whatever level that might be,” said Murányi. “We aim for equal opportunity in all areas – in terms of gender equality, in terms of development support for less fortunate communities and in terms of giving parasport athletes the chance to shine on the global stage.”

One of FITEQ’s key initiatives in the area of CSR, and one that is particularly important to Murányi, is the Table of Peace programme, which launched in February 2021. “We have a number of development programmes to support the global teqball community but perhaps the one that is closest to my heart is the Table of Peace initiative. The programme seeks to support young people from war-torn or disadvantaged areas by providing sporting activities that help give them an escape from the daily challenges they face, whilst also teaching them transferrable skills and key values such as teamwork, inclusivity and integrity.”

In the interview with TAFISA, Murányi was asked why sport for all and physical activity so important for FITEQ. “We hear it so often that it has become a slight cliché, but sport really does have a unique power to have an influence on the world,” said Murányi. “The benefits of being physically healthy are well-documented and at FITEQ we believe that access to such benefits should be universal. Through our development programmes, which seek to remove any barriers to entry, and through the excellent work of our National Federations we are growing closer every day to a situation where everyone has the chance to reach their full potential in our sport. Along the way, we will continue to promote the benefits of physical activity and the importance of sport for all to our millions of followers, whilst supporting and implementing initiatives that have a profound impact on society.”