30th European Fair Play Movement (EFPM) Congress and the electoral general assembly was held on May 18 and 19 at the premises of the International Olympic Academy (IOA) in the Ancient Olympia.

In the cradle of the Olympic Games, heart of Olympism and Olympic education, a series of events were held, commemorating the closing of the 30th EFPM Anniversary. These included the EFPM annual congress, European Fair Play Awards, EFPM Electoral Assembly, all also celebrating and commemorating the inaugural edition of the World Fair Play Day.

European University Sports Association (EUSA) and its Institute were presented in Olympia by EUSA Treasurer and member of the Executive Committee Francis Cirianni and EUSA Director of projects and Policy Andrej Pisl.

The activities in Olympia were supported by the European Fair Play Movement (EFPM), European Olympic Committees (EOC), International Council of Sport Science and Physical Education (ICSSPE) and Hellenic Olympic Academy.

The official start of the celebrations was on May 18 with the EFPM congress entitled Fair Play Education for the Promotion of Fair Play. The event was held in hybrid form, and was also streamed online. Presentation of the conference objectives was made by Thierry Zintz, EFPM Scientific Commission Chair, followed by the welcome address by Philippe Housiaux, EFPM President.

The keynote speeches were made by Anne Marcellini from the University of Montpellier, focusing on the meaning of inclusion in sport, and Mike McNamee from the KU Leuven, focusing on the ethical challenges of inclusion in sport.

In the afternoon, speeches were made by three contributors, two from institutional level and one from practical. Manfred Lammer President of the European Olympic Academies (EOA) spoke about Exclusion and Inclusion from an Olympic Perspective, followed by Dimosthenis Tampakos, Olympian, President of the Hellenic Olympic Academy.

Participants also heard from Michalis Mertzianidis, former European Fair Play Award recipient, sharing his experience about inclusion in and through sport. Afterwards, a round table was held, featuring the speakers and EFPM President, exchanging their views and experiences on the topic of fair play, inviting also the participants to contribute.

In the closing session of the congress, the summary of common elements and learnings from the 4-year program was made, including the summary of this year’s highlights, presented by EFPM President Philippe Housiaux and EFPM Scientific Commission Chair Thierry Zintz.

In the evening of the first day, a Dinner Gala was held at the Hotel Europa, also featuring the 2025 Fair Play Awards ceremony. European Fair Play Awards 2025 included recipients of the EFPM Diplomas of Recognition, EFPM Fair Play Flame Award and Diplomas, EFPM Spirit of Fair Play Awards, European Fair Play Special Award, EFPM Fair Play Vox Diploma under the auspices of AIPS Europe, European Fair Play Plaque of Merit and Diploma, as well as European Fair Play Diplomas under the auspices of the European Olympic Committees. The complete list of recipients can be found at the EFPM website. Both EUSA representatives were also invited to co-present some of the awards.

On May 19, the day started with a tribute to Pierre de Coubertin, initiator of the modern Olympic Games and promotor of fair play education. This was also a symbolic gesture related to the inaugural edition of the World Fair Play Day, celebrated annually on May 19 from this year onwards. Participants of the EFPM activities of Olympia visited his statute and held a small commemoration ceremony.

At the General Assembly, EFPM President gave a report, highlighting the main activities and achievements in the past period, thanking the members and partners for their work and cooperation.

Kasparas Sileikis as coordinator of the project presented the results of the Crossing Europe for Fair Play and Peace initiative, carried out in the past year when EFPM celebrated its 30th anniversary. EFPM Treasurer Katarina Raczova presented the financial report of the organisation, highlighting the transparency and efficiency of the operation, thanking also the auditor. EFPM Secretary General Ioannis Psilopoulos shared the information on the current activities and cooperation, and also explained the voting procedure for the upcoming elections.

The new Executive Committee for the next 4-year mandate was elected. It is composed of Philippe Housiaux (BEL) as President, Katarina Raczova (SVK) and Robert Perc (SLO) as Vice-Presidents; Ioannis Psilopoulos (GRE) as Secretary General; and Mirna Brodanac Raile (CRO), Khazar Isayev (AZE), Ivan Coste-Manierre (FRA), Kasparas Sileikis (LIT) and Bora Cavusoglu Selcuk (TUR) as members.

At the occasion of the 30th EFPM Assembly, EUSA Treasurer Francis Cirianni also addressed the participants, sharing key information about the activities of the organisation and highlighting EUSA’s commitment to fair play on various levels. He also presented a special commemorative plaque to EFPM President.

Before leaving Ancient Olympia, the participants were also invited to a reception at the Olympia city hall where they were met by Charalampos Spiliopoulos, Archaia Olympia's Vice Mayor for Sport, Culture, Tourism, Olympic and International issues. Each participant also received a Fair Play passport and souvenir.

EFPM events in Olympia were also used to promote EUSA sports events, education activities and projects. Special attention was given also to the current project, run by EUSA: DiscoverU (Discovering University Sport and Supporting Dual Career).

May 19 has been proclaimed as World Fair Play Day by the United Nations General Assembly in 2024, in recognition of the spirit of fair play rooted in the Olympic ideal, on the joint initiative of the Panathlon International (PI), International Committee for Fair Play (CIFP) , European Fair Play Movement (EFPM) and Panathlon Wallonia-Brussels, as a follow-up of the past celebrations of the global World Fair Play Day on September 7.

For more information, please see http://www.fairplayeur.com.