(c) Shawn Hubbard Photography

A record number of 35 countries were represented at the 12th annual International Federation of American Football (IFAF) Congress held in Canton, Ohio, in conjunction with the inaugural IFAF Junior World Championship.

While the United States, Canada and Japan were winning the tournament gold, silver and bronze medals respectively, IFAF membership continued to expand around the world.  Seven countries - Bulgaria, Chile, Colombia, Croatia, Nicaragua, Paraguay and Venezuela - were granted full membership of IFAF.

"We are delighted to welcome these new and emerging federations of American football from Pan-American and Europe into the IFAF family," said IFAF President TOMMY WIKING.  "The sport continues push its border internationally and by becoming IFAF members, these countries can benefit from a wealth of resources available through IFAF and also by communicating with fellow federations.

"Last year in Spain, 28 nations attended the IFAF Congress and this year's attendance illustrates how we are not only expanding but are also joining forces effectively to develop the sport."

In addition to ratifying new members, the 2009 IFAF Congress:

• Made changes to the IFAF Statutes so that no gender will hold less than 20 percent of seats on the IFAF Board and IFAF Executive Committee, which shall consist of both men and women.
• Approved the election of athletes to an IFAF Athletes Commission.  By 2011, two athletes will occupy seats on the IFAF Executive committee.
• Unanimously elected Football Canada CEO Richard Munro to the IFAF Executive Board as Secretary.
• Unanimously elected Gridiron Australia Chairman Michael Ryan to the IFAF Executive Committee as the continental representative for Oceania (OFAF).
• Unanimously elected the Uruguay Federation of American Football Secretary of International Relations Fernando Rodriguez to the IFAF Executive Committee as the continental representative for Pan-American (PAFAF).

IFAF announced the venues for three future IFAF world championships:

• 2010 IFAF Women's World Championship

Sweden will host the first historic world championship of American football when a minimum of four countries will compete in the Scandinavian nation's capital city of Stockholm in either late June or Early July 2010.  In 2008, Finland and Sweden played the first-ever international match between two women's teams.

• 2010 IFAF Flag Football Senior World Championship

Canada will host the fifth IFAF Flag Football Senior World Championship when the capital city of Ottawa welcomes male and female teams from August 11-16 to the athletic facilities at Carlton University.  Canada also hosted the 2008 event in St-Jean-Sur-Richelieu, Quebec, while previous tournaments have been held in Austria, France and Korea.

• 2011 IFAF Senior World Championship

Austria has been confirmed as the host nation for the fourth IFAF Senior World Championship, which will be played in three cities in June or July of 2011.  The Austrian capital of Vienna will be the venue for the Gold and Bronze Medal games and the fifth and seventh place playoffs as the senior national teams of eight nations assemble in Europe.  Two groups of four teams will play in the cities of Linz and Graz for a place in the medal games.  IFAF Senior World Championships have been hosted by Palermo, Italy (1999), Frankfurt, Germany (2003) and Kawasaki, Japan (2007).

The 2010 IFAF Congress will be held in Sydney, Australia in April of next year and the 2011 IFAF Congress will be held in Vienna, Austria, in conjunction with the 2011 IFAF Senior World Championship.