Freude herrscht means ” joy reigns ” in English, but you can’t really translate it. it simply expresses your happiness about a certain thing in that moment. And that certain ” thing ”  is the current state of triathlon overall here in the region. It is very satisfying to see that regular competitions and competition series start up/ or existing ones gain tremendously in size all over the Middle East. Sure, there may have been smaller community events all over the place beforehand, but due to the increasing popularity of triathlon the once small community events stand out more. On top of that, the increasing popularity of ADIT and TriYas and the prospect of having a WTC branded race here in the region adds to that excitement. And that is a great thing to see and makes me very happy.

The next logical step would be that due to the increased popularity of triathlon the sport councils or national sport ministries would recognize this fact and consequently discuss, decide and approve of founding and funding of national triathlon federations.

Structuring the sport in a national federation is a necessity, as it regulates the sport, establishes standards, holds nationals championships, puts together national teams, nurtures local talent and most importantly: progresses the sport.

I can only speak for the UAE in this particular case, but as it stands at this moment, a base exists, but since there is a lack of a federation that would establish guidance and standards, you have a lot of ” islands ” where everyone cooks their soup and in the interest of the sport, there is a very high risk of excluding or overlooking individuals, who actually show talent and are dedicated to progress the sport and perform whenever necessary. And I am sure everyone agrees with me, that triathlon at the end of the day is an individual sport. I am not saying that the establishment of a national federation eradicates the exclusion of individuals, but definitely reduces that possibility to a minimum. Besides the exclusion and overlooking, a national federation also forms triathletes and makes them perform as such in sanctioned events, so if someone wants to be a ranked athlete then there is lesser ducking/hiding/avoiding competitions and the other competitors. All in all, it paints a picture closer to reality.

I am not shying away from taking responsibility, but I have to recognize the fact that I am an esteemed guest in the place where I live. As much as I would like to make decisions, this is not up to me. But the least I can do a make very strong suggestions to our esteemed hosts, the Emirati Nationals. I would like to point out to the sport of Cycling and Golf, where the establishment of a national federation has done very good things for Emirati Nationals and foreign residents alike.

Since ” Freude herrscht “, let us celebrate triathlon and for this occasion, why don’t you come over to TrainYas tomorrow night at 1800. There is gonna be an announcement………hope to see you all there. 🙂

Enjoy triathlon.