It was with great sadness that last Sunday morning we heard about the death of Tony Martin.
Over the years Tony was a dedicated tug of war man, he served in various positions in England and was also a senior vice president of TWIF.
Tony Martin was Vice President from 1999 – 2007
Senior Vice President from 2007 till his retirement in 2015.
From me personally and the Tug of war family from around the world, we extend our deepest sympathy to his wife Sue and his immediate family on this sad time.
Tony may you rest in peace.
Dan Mc Carthy TWIF President.
Greetings Tug of War family and friends,
The 2025 Tug of War year has already started in most countries with teams training with a view to the year ahead. Recently all member countries received a very important letter from the secretary general Maaike, which should be forwarded to your NOC. The reason for this letter is, that during my visit to the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, I was astonished to learn that some members of the IOC didn’t realise that TWIF are full members of the IOC. Therefore we need to make them aware of this. Speaking with other members of the IOC, the importance of growth and numbers globally was the main focus. Reflecting on this we must take a common sense approach and make the correct decision to achieve this. The next important event is TWIF Seminar and Congress, which takes place in Mossel Bay South Africa on 21st& 22nd March. This will also be the venue for the 2026 World Outdoor Championships. During Congress motions and proposals will be discussed and voted on, for the future of our sport. August 2025 sees the World Games taking place in Chengdu China. Qualification has already taken place at last year’s World Championships, where we once again see the top six countries in three different weight classes taking part. This is the pinnacle of our sport and we must continue to show the IWGA that we worthy of our place. Since last year there is a lot of work going on to ensure that everything is in place for our athletes. We are very lucky to have our senior vice president Pete Dyer as competition manager for the event. Pete is also on the anti-doping committee of the IWGA. I wish all of the Athletes and countries the best of luck in the preparation towards Chengdu. Just a few weeks after the World Games we will travel to Nottingham, England who are hosting this year’s Championships. Last year during Congress there, we visited the accommodation and the venue which is within walking distance which makes it a little easier for the participants and organizers.
See you all soon either at Congress, World Games or Nottingham.
Yours in sport,
Dan McCarthy
President TWIF