Alisher Usmanov

President of the European Fencing Confederation (EFC)

Dear participants and guests of the Championships!

On behalf of the European Fencing Confederation I want to welcome you on the Dnieper River banks, in an ancient city of Kyiv.

The European Championship is, without a doubt, in the short-list of the most important events of the season for the European fencers. That is why it is not surprising that, under the preliminary estimate, the Championship will be visited by about 800 participants from more than 40 European countries. For some athletes the competitions in Kyiv will become the last opportunity to try their strength in highly competitive conditions before the Olympic Games in Beijing. For others it is a chance to make a statement and to lay a claim to high results in the next four years, to create a base for the future victories. And for all of us it is a possibility to feel the bright and festive atmosphere of a big tournament created by the organizers.

The European Championship is held for the first time in Ukraine, though it is long time that Ukraine has won the right to host competitions of such level. Junior World Cups have been successfully held here for several years. Ukrainian fencers lay a claim to the highest results practically on all tournaments at all disciplines. No other post-Soviet country, except my native Russia, has such glorious fencing traditions.

I would like to express my gratitude to the president of Ukrainian National fencing federation, Serhiy Mischenko, and to the member of executive committee of European Fencing Confederation, Maxim Paramonov, for their enthusiasm for developing our sport in Ukraine and their efficiency demonstrated during the preparation for the European Championship 2008.

I hope that European fencers, hedged round with care and attention of the organizers, will please the audience and guests of the competitions by showing spectacular fights, in which rivalry, conflict of ambitions and passions will combine with tactical efficiency and supreme technical skills.