WFF (World Fitness Federation)
THE BEGINNING
The 20-th century was the period when the World was divided in to two parts:
capitalist and Communist, in to "East" and "West". The "Iron Wall" separated
both parts giving no possibility to communicate, giving no possibility to
exchange the information. Each side knew very little about another.
The Western World developed bodybuilding, the Eastern World developed
fitness (then it was called "athletic gymnastic"). Each of them went their
own way.
Ideas propagated by the WFF today started with the first "Amber Prix
International" Championships (1967).
SOCIALIST WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
From 1959 until the middle of eighties only IFBB (International Federation
of Body Builders) was organizing World Championships. In 1967 having no
possibility to participate in the IFBB World Championships socialist fitness
enthusiasts decided to organize their own World Championships. They named
the event "Amber Prix International" as there was no chance to call it
"World Championship". Soviet ideology had a very strict point of view on
such things.
In reality only the Republics of the Soviet Union (15 Countries) and World
Socialist Countries participated in the "Amber Prix".
Many times the organizers invited the representatives of the "West" to
participate in the Eastern "Amber Prix International", but they had no
possibilities to cross the Soviet Border of iron.
At that time the leaders of the "West" bodybuilding were IFBB and NABBA
(National Amateur Body Building Association). Both IFBB and NABBA organized
contests no better than the ones organized in the Socialist World. Even now
many of us remember the numerous "Amber Prix" categories representing a lot
of countries. 1989 "Amber Prix International" collected nearly two hundred
athletes representing 51 team! There were over 50 competitors in the
Categories! Even today many of International Sport Organizations collect
only 10 - 15 countries in their World or Continental Championships.
The first "Amber Prix International" was organized in 1968 (Palanga,
Lithuania).
From this year the best athletes of the "East" participated in the event
regularly.
In the seventies bodybuilding was prohibited in the Soviet Countries. The
contests were stopped for some years, especially big ones.
Nevertheless of the prohibition of bodybuilding in 1977 Edmundas Daubaras
had courage to go on organizing the annual "Amber Prix International". For
many years "Amber Prix" remained the only one big regular contest of the
"East".
There was a constant working International Executive Committee around the
"Amber Prix International". The results of the contest were published in
newspapers and magazines. This made the "Amber Prix International" even more
popular. Occasionally Weider brothers published "Amber Prix" materials in
their magazines as well.
INTERNATIONAL WORK
From 1973 Socialist World starts to communicate more and more. International
Executive Committee of the the "Amber Prix International" worked together
with Czechoslovakia (Ludek Nosek, Milan Perdoch, Vijtech Fiala, Ivan Mach,
Josef Mazak, Stanislav Pesat), Poland (Ludowe Zespoly Sportowe), East
Germany (Peter Butze, Otto Rudiger, Peter Bajerowich, Winfred Basta, Jurgen
Madaj), Hungary (Ferenc Fekete, Istvan Bitter, Vytautas Grinius), Romania
(Vladislav Scekely, Vasile Belbe), Jugoslavia and Bulgaria (Atanas Dzanajev,
Zdravko Jordanov Petrov).
STRUCTURE
International Executive Committee of the the "Amber Prix International"
performed a constant and serious work. Juridicaly it was the unregistered
International Sport Organization (in the Soviet times there were no chance
to register an International Unit). There are many such unregistered and
unofficial International Sport Organizations even today.
Going on with the annual "Amber Prix International" Eastern Countries were
in touch with the "West". During many years Edmundas Daubaras communicated
with the leaders of the three basic International Bodybuilding
Organizations: Ben Weider (IFBB President), Oscar Heidenstam (NABBA
President), Serge Nubret (WABBA President). All of them were interested in
what is going on in the Eastern Countries as well as the "East" was
interested in what is going on in the Western World. The long lasting lack
of information and common interest was one of the main reasons to start the
new era of the common work.
NABBA and WABBA
Again the pioneer of the relations with the "West" was Edmundas Daubaras.
Just before the end of the Soviet Union in 1991 under the leadership of
Edmundas Daubaras Lithuania joined NABBA (Epinal, France). Then Natalija
Murnikoviene (later two times IFBB Miss Olympia third place winner) and
Rolandas Bucinskas (later heavyweight IFBB Europe Champion) became NABBA
Europe Champions.
At the same time in 1991 Lithuanian Rimontas Mazionis participated in WABBA
European Championship.
Soon after Lithuania many other Socialist Countries joined different
International Sport Organizations.
For many years used to the serious official work the former Socialist
Countries found in NABBA and WABBA unexpected things. The most important and
negative was: NABBA and WABBA had no juridical registration and many years
worked unofficially. Ben Weider (former IFBB President) used to call such so
called International Organizations "a group of friends".
WFF (World Fitness Federation)
Together with Edmundas Daubaras in 1991 Klaus Hoffmann (representing
Germany)
joined NABBA.
Both NABBA Presidents had close point of view on fithess: Edmundas Daubaras,
representing the "Amber Prix International" and Klaus Hoffmann,
representing "Miss Figure World Grand Prix" contests. In 1995 the great
common extraordinary project of developing fitness worldwide started - the
World Fitness Championships. The fitness project was named "World Fitness
Federation" (WFF).
The first great common international event was organized in 1998 (Palanga,
Lithuania). 1998 WFF World Championship was sponsored by the Government of
Lithuania. It collected nearly two hundred athletes from twenty one country.
The Championship showed the wide possibilities in developing sport of
fitness. At the same time some negative things were evident.
Only legal activities in post Soviet Countries are possible. Otherwise the
organization can not be supported by Governments, reviewed by press and
television, be sponsored by great firms. That was the difference from the
"Western" sport organizations. WFF had to be juridicaly registered.
Klaus Hoffmann had no interest in the official registration of WFF. The
registration of WFF-International was performed by the "Amber Prix"
International Executive Committee with Klaus Hoffmann being "out of the
game".
1998 WFF-INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS
1998 WFF-International Congress was organized by the "Amber Prix"
International Executive Committee. The main question was to prepare the WFF
juridical registration.
1999 WFF-INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS
1999 WFF-International Congress was held in Daugavpils (Latvia). The
Congress approved the Constitution of WFF-International, the Judging Rules,
elected the Executive Committee.
Edmundas Daubaras (Lithuania) was elected to the position of the president
of WFF-International, Oleg Burinskij (Latvia) was elected to the position of
the Vice President of WFF-International.
TWO WFF
Finally WFF-International was juridicaly registered and two International
WFF organizations appeared: one official (President Edmundas Daubaras) and
another so called "WFF Southern Hemisphere" (president Klaus Hoffmann). In
order to coordinate the common work Edmundas Daubaras was elected to the
position of the Vice President of "WFF Southern Hemisphere".
2000 WFF-INTERANTIONAL CONGRESS
For some time both WFF organizations worked together and cooperated.
2000 WFF-International Congress decided:
- The official WFF-International organizes annual WFF Europe
Championship and "Amber Prix International"
- The "WFF Southern Hemisphere" organizes WFF World Championship
and WFF "Universe" Contest
2003 WFF-INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS
There was a common International Congress of the official WFF-International
and the "WFF Southern Hemisphere" in 2003 (Germany). Klaus Hoffmann informed
that he lost his sponsors and that "WFF Southern Hemisphere" can not
organize WFF World Championship any more. The WFF "Universe" contest will be
the only one of the "WFF Southern Hemisphere".
Starting from 2003 the official WFF-International was to organize WFF World
and Europe Championship as well as WFF ""Amber Prix International".
The Congress decided to set the WFF-International Professional Division.
From 2004 annual WFF Pro World Championships will be organized. Andrej Basov
(Russia) was elected to the position of the WFF Pro Director.
2005 WFF-INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS
2005 WFF-International Congress was held in Palanga (Lithuania). The
Congress appointed the WFF-International official representatives:
- Mr. Biagio Filizola for the Mediteranian Countries
- Mr. Tero Lintunen for the Scandinavian Countries
- Mr.Ladislav Sandor for the Central Europe
- Mr.Daniel Olawale for the African Countries
- Mr. Claudio Vidal for the American Countries
FUTURE VISSION
There is evident difference between WFF-International and other
International Bodybuilding and Fitness Organizations. WFF has clear future
vision:
- 2005 WFF Amateur World Championship (Vilnius, Lithuania)
- 2005 WFF Pro World Championship (Moscow, Russia)
- 2006 WFF Amateur Europe Championship (Riga, Latvia)
- 2006 WFF Pro Europe Championship (Russia)
- 2006 WFF Amateur World Championship (Moscow, Russia)
- 2006 WFF Pro World Championship (Vilnius, Lithuania)
- 2006 WFF Amateur "Universe" contest (Italy)
- 2006 WFF Pro "Universe" (Russia)
Edmundas Daubaras
President
WFF-International
MORE INFO:
www.wff.lt
