Moves by the Hong Kong Windsurfing Association to include the newly formed kiteboarding federation under its umbrella would have been "politically" damaging for the new Olympic discipline, says the world body.
Top International Kiteboarding Association (IKA) official Markus Schwendtner has thrown his support behind the Hong Kong Kiteboarding Federation (HKKF), which last week snubbed offers by the windsurfing association to include kiteboarding under its own class. Kiteboarding will replace windsurfing at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.
"Taking into account the current situation between windsurfing and kiteboarding, especially in Asian countries, we believe this is the right step at the moment, otherwise this would have been used politically against kiteboarding," said IKA executive secretary Schwendtner.
Despite the windsurfing association receiving millions of dollars annually from the government through being an elite sport at the Hong Kong Sports Institute, the focus has shifted to kiteboarding after the International Sailing Federation replaced windsurfing with kiteboarding for the next Olympics.
"I heard about the attempt by Hong Kong Windsurfing Association to take over the HKKF, or at least to group kiteboarding under the umbrella of windsurfing and that it had been knocked back by the HKKF. This was the correct decision," Schwendtner said.
He also decried the chaotic situation in Hong Kong with three bodies, including the Kiteboarding Hong Kong Association (KHKA) which has five of its officials banned worldwide by the IKA, all vying for official recognition. "HKKF is our partner and valued member for Hong Kong and we hope all disputes can be overcome for the good of the sport," Schwendtner said.