Victor Moscatel - The FIPPA President
Victor Moscatel, Catalonia
At the FIPPA Assembly in March, Catalan Victor Moscatel became the new President of the international organisations. The busy Lleida course owner was generous enough to spend some time speaking to fippa.net
fippa.net: Congratulations on your election as FIPPA President.
VM: Thank you!! I consider the role of president is to coordinate the work of a team of enthusiastic people that during several years has worked for the development of Pitch and Putt, a team that will work together with me the next four years. It's a great challenge to promote Pitch and Putt internationally, and I'll do my best to make a bigger and better Pitch and Putt organisation.
fippa.net: What are your hopes and aspirations for your term of office?
VM: The most important aspiration Is that International Pitch and Putt, is no longer considered as something alien for the players in their local clubs. I would like to see a bond between the local club and the global game. After all, despite variations and different national characteristics of the game, we indeed have much in common; a passion for the short game. This is manifested by the camaraderie among players of different nationalities at our EPPA and FIPPA events. I understand Pitch and Putt as a life style. Pitch and Putt is teaching us healthy competition as well as being a social amenity, economically sustainable and of course, the sport instils a sense of Fair Play. This nature of the game is shared by us all.
fippa.net: What are your immediate Year 1 priorities?
VM: First of all, there are two big challenges.
I would like to oversee a more modern FIPPA/EPPA organisation, taking on board a variety of 21st century communication technologies to keep associations, affiliated clubs and moreover players in touch with news about our game irrespective of where the game is played, locally, nationally or internationally. Furthermore, I would like to see better involvement of players, clubs and national associations with our website. I would genuinely welcome contributions of all involved with Pitch and Putt, and not just the Secretariat, so as to have a more dynamic website.
fippa.net: What challenges do you face?
VM: FIPPA/EPPA must be the reference for all involved in the game. Each person, player, club, volunteer, club, organization, should share a sense that FIPPA/EPPA is an entity we have in common, and we are all members of the same family.
fippa.net: What is the future of EPPA?
VM: EPPA will continue as governing body of Pitch and Putt in Europe. FIPPA and EPPA are almost the same, only a few organisations are not in Europe. So it does make sense to have EPPA as a group within the structures of the global federation of FIPPA.
fippa.net: What is your view of the international sport of Pitch and Putt as it stands today?
VM: Today, only the top players are playing in FIPPA tournaments. Others know very little about FIPPA and only know what is going on in their own associations. We must change that and we do have opportunities and technologies to connect. In fact, there is no reason why two or more clubs in different countries might play a competition, each playing on their local course.
fippa.net: Will you make overtures to IPPA?
VM: My point of view is that Pitch and Putt is an independent sport and open to all players around the world. EPPA and FIPPA were founded by the most important associations that were developing Pitch and Putt and we are organising 95% Pitch and Putt of competitions internationally. New associations are joining FIPPA/EPPA, accepting the international rules of Pitch and Putt that we have developed over the years.
We are not an immobile organisation; we are changing and adapting rules in order to keep up to date. We are open to collaboration with other groups even if they consider Pitch and Putt to be the same as the sport of golf and oblige their players to be federated to their national golf federations. Personally, I just hope to develop the sport, our own sport. Maybe I'm mistaken, but after some conversations with IPPA directors, I think that they are not developing the sport; they just want to control Pitch and Putt as a part of another sport. Anyway, I will be open to speak with them while respecting the independence of our sport.
fippa.net: You are also President of FCPP. How is Pitch and Putt in Catalonia in 2014?
VM: Well, 2014, just started 6 months ago, it seems that people are starting to play more Pitch and Putt again despite the recession. We have successful competitions. For example the EPPA ranking circuit has about 300 players at each tournament; that is really encouraging.
fippa.net: How is Lleida Pitch and Putt progressing?
VM: Lleida had suffered due to the economic downturn, but it seems now that players - and new players see that our game is, under the circumstances, really quite affordable and we are busy again. We are preparing the course for the most important 2014 competition in Lleida, the European Inter Club Tournament in August, we are excited and we are sure that all players and friends will enjoy a terrific competition and have a super time in Lleida.
fippa.net: Your perspective on www.fippa.net ?
VM: www.fippa.net will be the home for Pitch and Putt around the world. Together we should contribute towards a renewal of the website. As I said earlier, in order that with the website can transmit all the information about our sport, not just about the international events, but as importantly, about national, regional and local happenings concerning our game.
fippa.net: Who will win the Catalonia v. Ireland challenge?
VM: That's a secret! For sure the winner will be the sport and as for the players, they will share a few days of super Pitch and Putt and consolidate our mutual friendship. Surely, that's a win-win scenario.
