In April, the FICEP General Assembly took place in Paris. President Gerhard Hauer was officially dismissed and received the Golden Decorations of Honor of the Republic of Austria and FICEP.
For Gerhard Hauer, the presidency of the sports umbrella organization with Christian roots FICEP (Federation Internationale Christian Education Physique et sportive) came to an end after 12 years due to the maximum permitted term of office. The Austrian and his French vice-president, Anne Cordier, were bid farewell with the FICEP Gold Medal of Honor, while Hauer also received the Gold Medal for Services to the Republic of Austria.
“To be awarded the Gold Medal of Honor is a great pleasure, an honor and also a visible recognition of five decades of official activity. My work for FICEP was of course accompanied by ups and downs, but getting to know many new officials and many nations from many nations, the associated positive cooperation, the enthusiasm and mood of the young people remain in my unforgettable memories. A heartfelt and special thank you to everyone for this”, said Gerhard Hauer in parting.
A life dedicated to sport
The 77-year-old from Upper Austria has been volunteering for sport all his life. In 1967, at the age of only 22, he founded the Skibob Union Linz and was active there as chairman for 30 years. For decades he was active in various functions for SPORTUNION, from 1996 to 2011 as President of the Upper Austrian regional association. In addition to many other commitments, Hauer was also Vice President of the LASK Linz football club, President of the Skibob Association and re-founded the Black Wings Linz ice hockey club in 2005 after it went bankrupt. In his professional life, Hauer was a merchant for ventilation and air conditioning, but is now retired.
“We would like to thank Gerhard for his tireless commitment to the sport on a national and international level. He has inspired many people, shaped the sport beyond the borders of his home country and leaves big footsteps in FICEP. We hope that he will stay in the sport with his passion and experience for a long time and we would like to thank him for the years together”, Hauer’s successors Stefani Groß (DJK), Jonathan Collomb (FSCF) and Stefan Grubhofer (SPORTUNION) say goodbye together .
Due to a change in the FICEP statutes decided at the General Assembly with 42 participants on April 15 in Paris, Hauer will not have a direct successor. For the next two years, the trio will take the lead instead. However, Hauer remains involved in the sport at a more regional level, working on the board of three clubs.
