European Canoe Association activities Q3 2025

New partnership with Special Olympics Europe-Eurasia 

The agreement was formalised by Jean Zoungrana, President of the European Canoe Association (ECA), and David Evangelista, President and Managing Director of Special Olympics Europe/Eurasia, during the European Canoe Sprint Championships in Pitesti, Romania. 
This partnership marks a significant milestone in the ECA’s ongoing commitment to greater inclusion in sport, following the introduction in 2024 of the first canoeing events for athletes with intellectual disabilities at the European Sprint Championships in Szeged, Hungary. 
The agreement lays the foundation for a strategic collaboration between our two organisations to make paddle sports more inclusive. 

ECA Athletes’ Commission 

To complete the composition of the ECA Athletes’ Committee, representatives from non-Olympic disciplines – one man and one woman from two different National Federations and disciplines – were to be elected. This was done on 15 September, with the election of Anna Margrete Sletsjoee (Norway – Canoe Marathon) and Szabolcs Fodor (Hungary – SUP) by their peers. 

A Summer of sport 

As always, this summer was marked by an intense sporting season with numerous championships across our various disciplines. 

European Junior and U23 Canoe Sprint Championships – Pitesti, Romania 

As one of the largest events organised by the ECA in terms of participating nations, athletes, and events, the championships once again showcased the vitality of European Canoe Sprint. 
A training camp was held for young European athletes, and Special Olympics races were organised for athletes with intellectual disabilities. 
The event also provided the opportunity to officially sign the partnership agreement between Special Olympics Europe-Eurasia and the ECA. 

European Junior and U23 Canoe Slalom Championships – Solkan, Slovenia 

These championships were a great success, with strong participation from our member federations, including athletes from Andorra, Hungary, and Luxembourg. The number of competitors increased significantly – 357 compared to 299 in 2024. 

European Youth Paralympic Games – Istanbul, Türkiye 

The European Youth Paralympic Games (EYPYG), organised by the European Paralympic Committee, took place in Istanbul from July 21 to 28. 
Although Paracanoe is not yet part of the official competition programme, it was featured in the discovery programme. Three representatives of the ECA were present: Arne Brendholz (coach), Johanna Pflüergner (athlete), and Moritz Berthold (athlete). 
With the support of the Turkish Canoe Federation, workshops were organised using ergometers, along with kayak and canoe demonstrations and public trial sessions. A video screen showed footage from international paracanoe competitions, highlighting the types of boats used by para-athletes. 
This was a wonderful opportunity to promote paddle sports among people with disabilities and the wider public. 

European Canoe Polo Championships – Avranches, France 

After Poland’s withdrawal, the Avranches Canoe Club in France rose to the challenge of organising the European Canoe Polo Championships in just three months – an achievement made possible thanks to the support of the city of Avranches, the departmental and regional councils of Normandy, and many enthusiastic volunteers. 
The event took place on a venue equipped with four permanent Canoe Polo fields, entirely dedicated to the sport. 
A total of 46 teams, representing 15 European nations and involving over 500 athletes and coaches, competed for the continental titles. 

European Youth Olympic Festival – Skopje, North Macedonia 

Held from July 21 to 24, this multi-sport event brings together young athletes from around 50 delegations across approximately 15 disciplines, offering them valuable international experience. 
The slalom events were held at the Matka Sports Centre, where victories went to: 

• Patrycja Iwaniec (POL) – Women’s Canoe 
• Léo Roye (FRA) – Men’s Canoe 
• Barbora Ondrackova (CZE) – Women’s Kayak 
• Marek Kulczycki (POL) – Men’s Kayak 

A CEO for the ECA 

The ECA has appointed its first Chief Executive Officer, Jovana Stanojevic (SRB), who took up her duties on September 1. Her wide-ranging responsibilities will cover strategic, administrative, financial, sporting, and governance matters. 
This is an important step for the ECA, which, thanks to the support of its member federations, can now rely on professional staff to carry out these key functions. 

Stanojevic said: “Taking on the role of CEO of the European Canoe Association is both an honour and a challenge, a personal milestone and a professional calling. But it is more than just a title, I see it as opportunity to transfer all my experiences gained from each and every position I have taken up so far. I have seen this sport from nearly every angle working alongside athletes, organisers, federations, international governing bodies. Now, as CEO, I’m ready to channel these experiences into action and make ECA a more structured and a professional organisation, reshape how we connect, compete and grow as a community, support our athletes and embrace new technologies to connect with the next generation.” 

Changes have also taken place in human resources: Nina Jelenc, formerly in charge of communications and partnerships, has left the organisation. Romain Bruneau has been recruited as a freelance project officer for several months, pending the establishment of the new ECA headquarters. 
Meanwhile, the ICF has appointed Ali Hassan as Development Manager for Europe and Africa. He has already met with the ECA Board and Sports Commission to familiarise himself with our organisation and projects. 

Board Activities 

While the summer season is filled with competitions and on-site presence by Board members, strategic work continues in parallel. Key activities included: 

1 - Launch of the Finance Committee, chaired by Peter Karai, which held its first meeting to review its roadmap, ongoing projects, financial regulations, and economic model. 

2 - ICF Olympic Qualification System – ECA representatives contributed their expertise within the dedicated working group. 

3 - Call for applications – Invitations were sent to all national federations to host the future ECA headquarters. 

4 - ICF Innovation Funds – The ECA submitted a digital transformation project with four components: 

- MyPaddleEurope Web 2.0 – a modern digital identity with news, rankings, events, and media. 

• Paddle Europe Digital Platform – an all-in-one system for finance, operations, and communication. 
• Paddle Europe Smart Events – modern, harmonised tools for event management and fan engagement. 
• Paddle Europe Data Connect – a comprehensive live and historical results database for the entire community
  

5 - Meeting with the Technical Director of the 2027 European Games in Istanbul – discussions focused on the partnership agreement, competition venues, and governance structure. 

6 - The Board met twice during the summer, on August 28 and September 24, addressing a wide range of topics: the potential rebranding of the ECA to “Paddle Europe”, the headquarters project, finance, recreational committee, calendar, bidding process, and human resources.