PREAMBLE
Hosharafu, which means the Arts and Abilities of Combat Techniques is a reality based full contact Martial Arts Style which was originated and developed for self-defense and reality based fighting techniques which is the mixture of standup and ground fighting in which the practitioners learn most effective techniques of Striking, Grappling, Locking and Choking in both positions (Standup and Ground).
It has produced numerous Fighting styles and systems for different age categories, each one incorporating its own techniques, tactics, principles and methods, as well as a wide variety of reality based fighting techniques. Hosharafu is not only encompasses combat, but also practices for health and Fitness. Today, Hosharafu has developed into a global sport, which is practiced and enjoyed by athletes worldwide due to its unique and exciting content.
CHAPTER 1: NAME AND OBJECTIVES
Article 1: Name, Location and Status
1.1 The name of the federation shall be the International Hosharafu Federation (“IHF”). The IHF maintains its headquarters in Toronto, Canada and its operational offices in different Countries which decided by Executive Committee, General Secretary and President of IHF.
1.2 The IHF is an international non-governmental, not-for-profit and independent association constituted as the sole worldwide governing authority for Hosharafu in all its forms.
Article 2: Mission and Objectives
The objectives of the IHF are:
2.1 To promote and encourage the development and practice of Hosharafu in all of its manifestations throughout the world.
2.2 To formulate and compile technical rules and regulations governing all Hosharafu competitions.
2.3 To organize and approve international Hosharafu competitions and activities, to standardize IHF member federation competitions and activities and to formulate standards for approval and certifying of International Hosharafu judges and coaches.
2.4 To promote and encourage the development of international Hosharafu exchanges.
2.5 To promote cooperation, friendly relations and mutual understanding among its members.
2.6 To actively promote and popularize Hosharafu, and to improve health worldwide through its practice.
2.7 To respect the principles of democracy, equality and harmony within the sport of Hosharafu. To oppose all forms of racial, political, religious, cultural, ideological and gender discrimination and to oppose discrimination based on internal factions within the sport of Hosharafu.
Article 3: Languages
3.1 The official language of the IHF is English. Other languages may be used at meetings of National Federations for better understanding of their local members and they are responsible to translate the meeting and send it to IHF if Needed.
CHAPTER 2: MEMBERSHIP
Article 4: Continental Federation
4.1 There are five Continental Federations which are formed by National Federations that belong to the same continent.
i) African Hosharafu Federation for the African Continent.
ii) European Hosharafu Federation for the European Continent.
iii) Oceanian Hosharafu Federation for the Oceanian Continent.
iv) Pan-American Hosharafu Federation for the Pan-American Continent.
v) Asian Hosharafu Federation for the Asian Continent.
4.2 The IHF recognizes only one Continental Federation per continent and one National Federation per Country.
Article 5: Responsibilities of Continental Federations
5.1 Under the leadership of the IHF, Continental Federations are responsible for organizing and managing Hosharafu activities on their respective continents.
5.2 Each Continental Federation shall be registered as a non-profit organization in accordance with the laws of where it is registered.
5.3 Continental Federations shall each organize an official continental Hosharafu championship biennially.
5.4 Continental Federations will assist with correspondence and liaison work between the IHF and its NFs at the request of the IHF.
5.5 At the end of each calendar year, Continental Federations are required to submit annual reports detailing the continental activities they have organized throughout the course of the year and their working plans for the following year, in writing, to the IHF.
5.6 Continental Federations shall operate transparently and respect, comply with and conform to the IHF’s Constitution, goals and best interests.
5.7 After every Congress, Continental Federations shall send minutes of the Congress to the IHF promptly after the minutes are prepared.
Article 6: National Federations (“NF”) Membership
6.1 Hosharafu governing bodies of all nations may apply to join the IHF and become its National Federation.
6.2 The IHF shall only accept one National Federation from each country or territory.
6.2.1 Those National Federations which are recognized by their respective National Olympic Committee and/or National Sports Authority may apply to become Full Members of the IHF.
6.2.2 Those National Federations which have not been recognized by their respective National Olympic Committee and/or National Sports Authority may apply to become Affiliated Members of the IHF.
6.2.3 Upon approval by the Executive Board, organizations
representing territories that are not self-governing and/or have no independent National Olympic Committee and/or National Sports Authority are eligible to become Associate Members.
Article 7: Affiliation Process
7.1 A Hosharafu organization that is applying to become a National Federation of the IHF shall submit to the Secretariat the following documents either on paper or electronically:
7.1.1 Application in written form;
7.1.2 Two sets of its Constitution, one of which must be written in
English;
7.1.3 A report on Hosharafu activities carried out over the previous two
years;
7.1.4 A proof of payment to the IHF of a non-refundable application
fee of one hundred US Dollars (US$100).
7.2 A Hosharafu organization of a nation or territory that wishes to join the IHF should first apply to be admitted as National Federation of the IHF and then, upon having its application approved, apply for membership to its Continental Federation.
7.3 The IHF Secretariat will submit the application documents to the IHF Executive Board for approval. Once an application has been approved by the Executive Board, the applicant shall become an Affiliated Member of the IHF.
7.4 An Affiliated Member which has fulfilled all application and eligibility requirements in this Constitution shall become a Full Member by receiving the approval by two-third majority vote of the Full Members present at the IHF Congress
7.5 If multiple Hosharafu organizations claim to represent a nation or self-governing territory, the IHF will investigate to determine which candidate is most qualified to become its National Federation.
Article 8: Rights of National Federations
8.1 National Federations have the right to be recognized as the only Hosharafu governing body of their respective nation or territory.
8.2 National Federations have the right to apply to host international competitions and activities organized or approved by the IHF, as stipulated in the Constitution.
8.3 National Federations have the right to apply to host the international judges’ and coaches’ training courses organized by the IHF.
8.4 National Federations have the right to participate in international competitions and activities organized or approved by the IHF.
8.5 National Federations have the right to send personnel to participate in international judges’ and coaches’ training courses organized by the IHF and to obtain the relevant qualifications and certification.
8.6 National Federations have the right to recommend their national (or territorial) IHF certified international judges to officiate at competitions and activities organized and approved by the IHF.
8.7 National Federations have the right to organize national or territorial Hosharafu competitions utilizing IHF rules and regulations.
8.8 National Federations have the right to have priority in obtaining teaching materials and information from the IHF.
8.9 National Federations have the right to organize national or territorial judges’ and coaches’ training courses in accordance with the IHF rules and teaching materials.
8.10 National Federations have the right to conduct training for Hosharafu practitioners using teaching materials authorized by the IHF and to confer relevant credentials to the participants.
8.11 National Federations have the right to utilize other services provided by the IHF.
Article 9: Rights of Full Members only
9.1 Only Full Members, as opposed to Provisional or Associate Members, have the right to vote, to elect and to nominate candidates as stipulated by the Constitution. In particular, National Federations have the right to nominate candidates for positions in the committees, apart from the Executive Board.
Article 10: Responsibilities of National Federations
The National Federations have the following responsibilities towards the IHF:
10.1 Receive the IHF’s regular inspection on membership qualification.
10.2 Continuously endeavour to unite other Hosharafu organizations within their
nations or territories.
10.3 Regularly organize national (territorial) Hosharafu championships.
10.4 Pay the annual membership fee in accordance with Article 13 herein.
10.5 Become a member of the Continental Federation of their respective continent.
Article 11: Responsibilities of Continental Federations, National Federations and Associate Members
Continental Federations, National Federations and Associate Members have the following responsibilities towards the IHF:
11.1 Support the IHF in its efforts to achieve its objectives.
11.2 Observe and comply with the IHF Constitution and rules and ensure that their own constitutions and rules, and those of their members, do not conflict with those of the IHF.
11.3 Recognize the IHF as the only worldwide governing body for Hosharafu in all its forms and ensure that none of their Executive Board members and officials participate in, hold any official positions in, support in any way or take part in the activities of other conflicting international organizations.
11.4 Implement the resolutions of the IHF Executive Board and Congress.
11.5 Implement the Anti-Doping rules and regulations of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and the IHF and conduct anti-doping educational campaigns.
Article 12: Autonomy of Continental Federations, National Federations and Associate Members
12.1 Continental Federations, National Federations and Associate Members are required to protect and maintain their autonomy and independently manage all internal affairs without any pressure or interference from a third party.
12.2 They are required to resist all forms of external pressure, including but not limited to political, religious and economic pressures which may infringe upon their commitment to comply with the IHF Constitution.
Article13: Membership Fees
13.1 The annual membership fee to be paid by each National Federations is Five hundred US Dollars (US$500) exception for exempted members.
13.2 National Federations are required to pay the membership fee to the IHF before Jan 30 of each calendar year.
Article14: Termination, Withdrawal and Suspension of Membership
14.1 The IHF Executive Board, following due process, may propose the termination of the membership of an National Federation that refuses to comply with the IHF Constitution and/or commits serious violations that jeopardize the reputation or interests of the IHF. In such cases, the National Federations will be expelled upon approval by a vote of more than two-thirds from the delegates attending the following IHF Congress.
14.2 The IHF Executive Board has the power to terminate the membership of any Affiliated Member that has failed to obtain the recognition of its National Sports Authority or Government while another Hosharafu organization of the same nation or territory has obtained such official recognition. The latter may be admitted to the IHF as Full Member upon approval by the IHF Congress.
14.3 The following circumstances shall be considered a voluntary withdrawal from IHF membership:
14.3.1 The National Federations no longer exists.
14.3.2 The National Federations notifies the IHF Secretary General in writing that it is withdrawing its affiliation.
14.3.3 The National Federations fails to pay its annual membership fee for two consecutive years.
14.4 Following the withdrawal or termination of membership of a National Federations , the IHF has the right to admit a new National Federations from the departed National Federation’s nation (territory).
14.5 A withdrawing National Federations may not make any claims against the IHF, including but not limited to financial or property claims. Furthermore, the withdrawing National Federation must fulfill its financial and other outstanding obligations to the IHF until the end of the calendar year during which the withdrawal occurred.
14.6 If a withdrawn National Federations wishes to resume its IHF affiliation and no new National Federation from its nation or territory has been admitted, then it may be readmitted subject to the requirements that it pays double the admission fee.
14.7 Following due process, the IHF Executive Board has the right to suspend any National Federation from all or part of its rights under the Constitution for a defined or undefined duration.
CHAPTER 3: INTERNATIONAL COMPETITIONS AND ACTIVITES
Article 15: Types of Competitions and Activities
15.1 The following competitions are hosted by the IHF and organized by the National Federations. The competition rules stipulated by the IHF shall be adopted in all competitions.
15.1.1 The World Hosharafu Championships shall be held once every two years.
15.1.2 The World Junior Hosharafu Championships shall be held once every two years.
15.2 National Federations or Continental Federations organizing international or continental competitions should implement competition rules and regulations stipulated by the IHF. The IHF Secretariat shall be informed of the organizational details of the competition prior to the event. The competition results shall be sent to the IHF Secretariat within ten (10) days after the date of the conclusion of the competition.
15.3 Any other international Hosharafu competitions and activities approved by the IHF Executive Board.
Article 16: Rules Relating to Eligibility for Participation
16.1 IHF Athletes Training Course, and IHF Coaches Training Course, all participants participating in competitions and activities organized or approved by the IHF must be citizens of the nation (territory) that they will represent. In cases where athletes have changed their citizenship, such athletes are required to have resided in the nation (territory) that they are representing for at least two years prior to the opening day of the competition or activity, during which time they may not have represented any other nation (territory) in such events.
16.2 The Technical Committee shall deal with all disputes relating to an athlete’s eligibility for participation and report to the IHF Executive Board for the final decision.
Article 17: Applying to Host Competitions and Activities
17.1 All candidates applying to host IHF competitions and activities are required to observe all of the relevant IHF regulations and submit all of their bidding documents.
17.2 Bidding documents for hosting the World Hosharafu Championships shall be sent to the Secretariat six months prior to the convening of the upcoming Congress.
17.3 The bidding documents shall include but not be limited to the following:
17.3.1 Host City Name and information:
Profile of the city; detailed local maps showing the location of competition area, hotels and airports etc.
17.3.2 Competition and Training Venues:
Name and exact location of the venue, competition area and seating capacity etc.
17.3.3 Transportation Information:
Name(s) of airport(s), local means of transportation, transportation arrangement for participating teams on arrival and departure etc.
17.3.4 Accommodation Information:
Number of hotels, names and locations; hotel accommodation capacity; number and capacity of conference facilities; accommodation arrangements and expenses for participants (athletes, officials and judges, etc.); distance between hotel(s) and the competition venue.
17.3.5 Letter of Support:
Letter of support from the National Sports Authority or local government.
17.4 Delegates of the bidding federation applying to host the Championships shall make a presentation at the Congress.
17.5 The IHF President will appoint representatives to make inspection visits of the candidate cities three months prior to the convening of the Congress. The representatives shall submit a report to the Congress. All costs associated with the inspection visits shall be borne by the bidding federation, or city.
17.6 The federation awarded the hosting rights for the Championships must enter into a written agreement with the IHF.
17.7 Should the Congress fail to reach a decision regarding the host of the upcoming championships during its session, the Executive Board has the right to make the decision.
17.8 The Executive Board has the right to determine the awarding of hosting rights for competitions and activities other than the World Hosharafu Championships to IHF National Federations and bidding cities.
Article 18: The Organization of Competitions and Activities
18.1 The competitions and activities organized or approved by the IHF shall be conducted under the guidance and supervision of the Executive Board.
18.2 The National Federation or city hosting the competition or activity shall be responsible for all relevant organizational work.
18.3 The IHF Technical Committee is responsible for technical matters related to the competitions.
18.4 National Federations participating in competitions or activities shall observe and conform to the respective event’s rules and regulations as established and published by the IHF.
Article 19: Intellectual Property Rights
19.1 IHF’s name and domain name, the IHF emblem, flag, and anthem, and identifications (including but not limited to “IHF-promoted” and “IHF-sanctioned”), as defined by the IHF Executive Board and approved by the Congress, shall be collectively or individually referred to as “IHF Properties.”
19.1.1 All rights to any and all IHF Properties, as well as all rights to the use thereof, belong exclusively to the IHF, including but not limited to the use for any profit-making, commercial or advertising purposes. The IHF may license all or part of its rights on terms and conditions set forth by the IHF.
19.1.2 IHF Properties shall not be used without prior approval of the IHF. Each Continental Federation and National Federation shall use reasonable efforts to prevent the use of any of the IHF Properties without approval of the IHF in the areas under the jurisdiction of the relevant federation.
19.1.3 The IHF reserves the right to approve National Federations to take appropriate legal action against pirating and/or illegal use of the IHF Properties by clubs, associations and individuals in countries where such violations have occurred.
19.1.4 Rules concerning the use of IHF Properties, in their original form or any other possible modifications, and the possible legal and/or disciplinary actions against perpetrators who did not obtain such official approval from IHF may be enacted separately.
19.2 The IHF organized and/or sanctioned competitions and activities are the exclusive property of the IHF, which owns all rights and data relating thereto, in particular and without limitation, all rights relating to their organization, exploitation, broadcasting, recording, representation, reproduction, access and dissemination in any form and by any means or mechanism whatsoever, whether now existing or developed in the future. The IHF shall determine the conditions of access to and the conditions of any use of data relating to the IHF promoted competitions and events.
19.3 The IHF may license or transfer any or all of the above mentioned rights to its National Federations or Continental Federations by written agreement with them.
19.4 The personnel who participate in the competitions and activities organized by the IHF, including but not limited to, officials, judges, coaches, team leaders and athletes(hereafter referred to collectively as “Participants”) must consent to and agree that the IHF is entitled to use any pictures, audio recordings and written materials of the Participants or other individuals who may be present and are photographed, recorded, filmed or televised live during the event or at any other time associated with the event whether during the competition or otherwise. The participants must not for any reason or at any time pursue reimbursement or compensation from the IHF, the hosting National Federation or Continental Federation and/or its service providers directly or indirectly, for their use of the above described materials.
Article 20: Media Rights
20.1 All television, radio, photographic, film, internet, telephone and other media rights to IHF events known of or unknown of today are the exclusive property of the IHF. These rights may not be sold or negotiated without the written agreement of the IHF, which may delegate its powers to negotiate the sale or use of these rights, but which shall retain the sole authority for the final decision.
20.2 When a National Federations or a Continental Federation hosts an IHF-promoted event, the event Host shall obtain the approval of the IHF before signing a marketing contract with any private entity. The IHF has the right to receive a percentage of the revenue generated from such contracts and the parties will negotiate the percentage to be received by the IHF prior to the IHF approving any contract.
CHAPTER 4: ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE
Article 21: Organizational Structure
The leadership and administrative entities of the IHF are:
21.1 Congress
21.2 Executive Board
21.3 President
21.4 Secretariat
Article 22: IHF Congress
22.1 The IHF Congress is the highest authority of the IHF.
22.2 The Congress shall be convened every two years, generally in conjunction with the World Hosharafu Championships.
22.3 An Extraordinary Congress may be convened upon the initiative of one third of the Full Members or at the call of the President. The Secretary General shall inform all National Federations, no later than two months in advance, as to the date and place of its convening.
22.4 Each Member may send two delegates to attend the Congress. Each delegate’s correctly completed registration form must be sent to the Secretariat 30 days prior to the convening of the Congress.
22.5 Each Full Member shall have one vote. Voting by proxy is not permitted. Each Provisional Members may send two non-voting delegates to observe the Congress.
22.6 Full Member proposals for the amendment of the Constitution must be sent to the Secretariat six months prior to the convening of the Congress. The Secretariat may also propose amendments based on administrative best practices. The Secretariat shall compile the proposals and then send the draft Constitution to the Executive Board for review two months prior to the convening of the Congress. The Secretariat shall make the reviewed draft available to all Full Members one month prior to the convening of the Congress.
22.7 The President of the IHF shall preside over the Congress. In the absence of the President, the President shall appoint a Vice President to chair the Congress.
22.8 The quorum required for the Congress is one-third of the total of Full Members. A resolution shall be approved by a simple majority vote of the Full Members present at the Congress. The amendment of the Constitution, termination of an National Federation or dissolution of the IHF shall be approved by a two-third majority vote of the Full Members present at the Congress.
22.9 In the event of a tie in votes, the Chair of the Congress shall cast the deciding vote.
22.10 All documents for the Congress shall be prepared by the Secretariat.
22.11 The Congress shall have the following powers:
22.11.1 To approve or to amend the Constitution;
22.11.2 To admit new Full Members provided that all requirements set
forth by the Constitution are met;
22.11.3 To expel National Federations upon proposal of the Executive Board;
22.11.4 To approve the budget and the financial report prepared by the Executive Board;
22.11.5 To elect and to dismiss the members of the Executive Board,
except for the Secretary General and one Treasurer (once every four years);
22.11.6 To dissolve the IHF;
22.11.7 To change the headquarters of the IHF;
22.11.8 To determine the date and place of the next world Hosharafu
championships;
22.11.9 To determine the date and place of the next Congress;
22.11.10 To appoint an independent auditor if deemed necessary;
22.12 All items to be submitted to the Congress shall be included in the agenda.
Article 23: IHF Executive Board
23.1 The Executive Board assumes the general overall responsibility for the administration of the IHF and the management of its affairs. Between the Congress sessions, it has the authority to deal with and decide on all matters related to the IHF and its operations, except those matters that the Constitution expressly states must be approved by the Congress.
23.2 The Executive Board shall be composed of the following members
- One President;
- Up to five Vice Presidents;
- One Secretary General and one Treasurer both of whom are appointed by the President;
- One member from the Athlete’s Committee (the “Athlete’s Committee Member”);
- One member from the Elected Host of each upcoming World Hosharafu Championship (the “Elected Host Member”);
- Up to 9 additional members (the “Additional Members”).
- All Continental Federations, provided that they are consisting of 6 or more National Federations, shall be entitled to nominate candidates from their own continent to serve as Additional Members on the Executive Board.
- Continental Federations consisting of 8 or more National Federations shall nominate one candidate from their own continent for the position of Vice President.
- Elected hosts of upcoming World Hosharafu Championships shall nominate candidates for the position of Elected Host Member on the Executive Board, provided that there is no current executive board member from the same nation/territory. The elected host member may join the Executive Board during the Congress when the host of World Championships is selected. The elected host member shall serve for a term of 4 years.
- The President shall appoint the Secretary General and Treasurer.
- The Athletes’ Committee Member on the Executive Board shall be nominated by the Athletes’ Committee.
- All nomination letters and resumes of the candidate (s) shall be sent to the Secretariat six months prior to the election by the Congress. The list of the candidates shall be circulated to all National Federations and Continental Federations before the Congress.
- Apart from the Secretary General and the Treasurer, the IHF Executive Board members, including the President, are elected by the Congress for a term of four years. They are all eligible for re-election, except for the Elected Host Member. The transfer of power shall occur during the period between the end of the election and the end of the World Hosharafu Championships. The newly elected Executive Board shall commence performing its duties after the conclusion of the World Hosharafu Championships.
- The Secretary General and the Treasurer shall be respectively responsible for the daily work and the financial management of the IHF.
- The Executive Board shall compile annual financial reports including annual accounts, which it shall submit to the Congress, together with the auditors’ report, if any.
- The Executive Board has the power to approve the establishment of permanent committees and working groups.
- The Executive Board shall meet once every year. In addition, an Extraordinary Meeting may be called by the President or at the request of more than one-third of the Executive Board members.
- The President shall preside over the Executive Board meeting. In his absence, the President may appoint a Vice President to chair the meeting.
- The quorum required for an IHF Executive Board meeting shall be more than half of its total members.
- A resolution shall be adopted with the approval of a simple majority of the members present.
- If a vote results in a tie, the Chair of the meeting shall cast the deciding vote.
- Any elected Executive Board member who has a conflict of interest must abstain from voting on the conflicted agenda point. In doubtful situations, the President must decide on the right to vote of the concerned elected Executive Board member.
- An Executive Board member is deemed to have resigned and thus forfeit membership if he or she fails to attend the Executive Board meetings for two consecutive years without prior approval by the President.
- The Executive Board members shall not hold any positions in any other international Hosharafu organizations.
Article 24: President
24.1 The President represents the IHF at all times and presides over all of
its activities.
24.2 The President is responsible for the implementation of all resolutions made at the Congress, and the Executive Board meeting during the period of their recess. The President has the right to address and resolve any urgent issues within the competence of the Executive Board, when the Executive Board may not be convened in due time to decide on the matter.
24.3 If the President is unable to perform his or her duties, he or she has the right to appoint a Vice President to act on his or her behalf until such a time that he or she is able to resume his duties.
24.4 If the President resigns, is unable to appoint a Vice President to act on his or her behalf, or is unable to permanently perform his or her duties for any reason, the Executive Board will appoint a Vice President to perform the President’s duties until the following Congress, at which a new President will be formally elected.
24.5 The President has the power to establish committees and working groups as he or she deems necessary.
24.6 The President may appoint representatives to observe any Continental Federation’s Congress.
Article 25: Secretariat
25.1 The Secretariat is the permanent working organ of the IHF that is responsible for its daily operation.
25.2 The Secretariat works under the leadership of the President and Secretary General. The President may appoint a member of the Executive Board as Chief Executive to assist the Secretary General in the administration of the Secretariat.
25.3 Both the Secretary General and the Chief Executive shall report regularly on their activities to the President.
25.4 The President has the right to appoint and dismiss the staff members of the Secretariat. The President may authorize the Secretary General to appoint and dismiss the staff members of the Secretariat.
Article 26: Committees and Working Groups
26.1 When needed, permanent or temporary special committees and working groups may be established. Permanent committees are established upon proposal of the President and approval by the Executive Board. committees and working groups may be established upon sole decision of the President.
26.2 The various committee and working group members are nominated by the National Federations and appointed by the President. The President may also appoint other candidates to serve in such committees and working groups at his own discretion.
26.3 If a National Federation no longer supports its recommended candidate and the candidate currently holds an official position within the IHF, the National Federation shall submit an official letter advising the IHF that it no longer supports its candidate and provide clear reasons for such withdrawal request. The IHF shall investigate and the President may make the final decision as to whether such candidates should be removed from his/her position.
26.4 Permanent Committees include, but are not limited to: Technical Committee; Medical Committee; Anti-Doping Disciplinary Committee; Marketing and Development Committee; Athletes’ Committee; Women’s Committee ,etc.
26.5 Committees and Working Groups shall develop working guidelines which will be implemented following the approval by the Executive Board.
Article 27: Technical Committee
27.1 Technical Committee members must be holders of a valid International Judge Certificate issued by the IHF.
27.2 The Technical Committee shall be responsible for all technical matters of the IHF. They are responsible for formulating, revising and supervising the implementation of the Competition Rules, Regulations and Judges Management Policy; they shall also examine and deal with all technical proposals submitted by the National Federations.
27.3 The Technical Committee members are responsible for the training of the IHF judges and coaches in order to improve their technical level and professionalism.
Article 28: Medical Committee
28.1 The Medical Committee members must be highly experienced medical specialists or experts in the field of anti-doping.
28.2 The Medical Committee is responsible for formulating and revising the regulations regarding medical supervision of athletes and the anti-doping code and for supervising the implementation of these regulations.
28.3 In addition to formulating and implementing regulations, the Medical Committee is responsible for the following:
28.3.1 Examining and handling proposals relating to medical affairs
that are submitted by National Federations or Continental Federations.
28.3.2 Conducting anti-doping tests in accordance with the World Anti-Doping Agency standards at all the competitions organized by the IHF.
28.3.3 Evaluation and approval of athletes’ TUE (Therapeutic Use Exemption) applications.
28.3.4 Physical examination of the athletes prior to each competition.
28.3.5 Making recommendations to the Technical Committee to disqualify athletes who do not meet the requirements for participating in a competition.
28.3.6 Organizing lectures on medical supervision.
28.3.7 Providing advanced medical supervision means and methods
for National Federations and Continental Federations.
Article 29: Anti-Doping Disciplinary Committee
29.1 The Anti-Doping Disciplinary Committee is responsible for providing a hearing process for any person who is asserted to have committed an anti-doping rule violation and for imposing sanctions for doping violations. It shall act in accordance with the IHF Constitution and regulations, in particular the IHF Anti-doping Rules, as well as the
World Anti-doping Code and WADA regulations, standards and guidelines.
29.2 The Anti-Doping Disciplinary Committee shall be composed of fair and impartial individuals from different countries/territories and nationalities, who shall not have any formal role in the governance of IHF, Continental Federations or National Federations. The Anti-Doping Disciplinary Committee shall consist of a chairman with a legal and/or medical and/or anti-doping background, other members with expertise in sports and/or anti-doping, as well as substitutes in order to allow the constitution of an impartial hearing panel in avoidance of any situation of conflict of interests.
Article 30: Marketing and Development Committee
30.1 The Marketing and Development Committee is responsible for all marketing and development work related to the IHF.
30.2 The Marketing and Development Committee is responsible for the drafting and implementation of the IHF marketing and development plan.
Article 31: Athletes’ Committee
31.1 The Athletes’ Committee shall be responsible for matters related to and in the best interest of the athletes.
31.2 The chairman or a representative of the Athletes’ Committee may observe the Technical Committee meeting, and take part in the research and decision-making related to competition rules, technical grading, and other aspects of technical matters.
31.3 The Athletes’ Committee will review proposals submitted by National Federations to the Executive Board or Congress regarding matters related to athletes. The Athletes’ Committee may also present proposals directly to the Executive Board or Congress.
Article32: Women’s Committee
32.1 The Women’s Committee is responsible for promoting women’s participation in Hosharafu competitions and activities.
32.2 The Women’s Committee is responsible for providing information and making recommendations to the Executive Board regarding women’s participation in Hosharafu competitions and activities.
Article 33: Honorary Titles
33.1 The IHF may award the title of Honorary President to Presidents who have retired after serving the IHF. Honorary Presidents are entitled to attend and address the Congress and Executive Board meetings, but will have no voting rights.
33.2 The IHF may award honorary titles to those individuals who have performed invaluable service or made outstanding contributions to the promotion and development of Hosharafu.
CHAPTER 5: OTHER MATTERS
Article 34: Financial Regulations
34.1 Sources of funds include the following: Membership fees; marketing income; grants and donations etc.
34.2 The handling of the IHF’s financial affairs will be guided by the principle of operating within the organization’s financial means. All budgets will be formulated and implemented with this principle as a guide.
34.3 The Executive Board shall be responsible for formulating and implementing all financial regulations and will, therefore, be held accountable by the National Federations for any financial discrepancies that may arise therefrom.
34.4 The financial year of the IHF shall start on January 1 and end on December 31 of each year.
Article 35: Ethics, Arbitration and Discipline
35.1 The IHF shall promote the spirit of sportsmanship through the implementation of its.
35.2 Issues related to competition or technical matters will be investigated and handled by the Technical Committee through relevant hearings and report.
35.3 Issues related to anti-doping matters will be investigated and handled by the Anti-Doping Disciplinary Committee through relevant hearings. Decisions by the Anti-Doping Disciplinary Committee may be appealed as provided for under the IHF Anti-doping Rules.
35.4 The President will appoint three (3) individuals, including at least one member of the IHF Executive Board to investigate and handle issues related to other matters through relevant hearings, including imposing disciplinary actions or recommending to the Executive Board to impose disciplinary actions.
35.5 IHF disciplinary action includes: Issuing warnings, fines and penalties, the suspension or removal of office bearers, the suspension of National Federations, Continental Federations or Associated Members, the termination of membership / expulsion of National Federations, Continental Federations or Associated Members. The removal of office bearers other than Executive Board Members or the suspension of National Federations, Continental Federations or Associated Members shall be executed by the Executive Board. The removal of Executive Board Members and the termination of membership/expulsion of National Federations, Continental Federations or Associated Members shall be executed by the Congress.
Article 36: Change of Headquarters and Dissolution
36.1 If the IHF moves its headquarters, the assets from the old headquarters shall be transferred to the new headquarters.
36.2 If the IHF is dissolved, the assets of the IHF shall be disposed of according to the resolution of the Congress.
Article 37: Interpretation of the Constitution
37.1 The right of interpretation of the Constitution is vested in the Executive Board.
37.2 The Constitution is written in English and the IHF allow other Countries National Federations to translate the constitution in their local language for better understanding.
This Constitution has been approved and implemented during the Executive Board Meeting on 1st January 2019.
