In encouraging news, the Middle East Africa region has put forward a new representative format that features a proposed four-tier competition with promotion and relegation. It will cater for the growing number of nations playing the sport and allows all members and any new observers to participate in an MEA event.
The plan is to have an MEA Cup, MEA Championship, MEA League and MEA Regionals, with each tier determined by membership status criteria.
“The Middle East Africa region event format will fall into line with similar federation competition in Asia Pacific, the Americas and Europe,” said MEA regional director, Remond Safi. “New and current members will participate in a pathway to qualify for future World Cups. The Middle East and Africa region is a very exciting growth area for the whole sport. I’m looking forward to seeing this format expand and to build each individual level to obtain its own commercial and branding opportunities.”
Meanwhile, in Europe, Montenegro’s application to become an Observer member of the ERL has been formally approved.
ERL chair Maurice Watkins, CBE noted: “It is of course disappointing to have to cancel more competitions but we have good reason to believe that normality will return soon. The ERL continues to make strong process from an organisational excellence perspective, and this recent meeting of the board rightly had a principal focus on that area.”
