UWW's Niamkey Appointed ICCE Vice President

BEIJING, China (September 18) -- United World Wrestling Development Director Deqa NIAMKEY has been appointed as the Vice President (International Federations and Olympic Movement) by the Board of the International Council for Coaching Excellence (ICCE).

ICCE met at Beijing Sport University on September 7 and 8, 2026 for two days of strategic discussion, governance and planning for the future of coaching and coach development internationally.

As part of its governance and organisational development, the ICCE Board has made a number of Vice President appointments to strengthen leadership across key areas of the organisation and its international network. The following appointments have been made:

Vice President (Strategy and Development) – Sergio LARA-BERCIAL
Vice President (International Federations and Olympic Movement) – Deqa NIAMKEY
Vice President (Asia) – Jiexiu ZHAO
Vice President (Oceania) – Andy ROGERS
Vice President (Europe) – Pedro SEQUEIRA

"These two days were a wonderful reminder of the power of collaboration, bringing people, knowledge, and shared visions together to create meaningful impact," Niamkey said. "A heartfelt thank you to everyone who contributed to making these days so enriching, and to my fellow colleagues for the trust they have placed in me through my nomination as Vice President of ICCE, responsible for International Federation and Olympic Movement relations.

"A special thank you to our dear host, Jiexiu ZHAO of Beijing Sport University, for the warm welcome and generous hospitality. I look forward to continuing this journey together and to positioning ICCE at the heart of coaching education and well-being worldwide."

The meeting covered a wide range of ICCE activities, including updates on Coach Developers, ASDEG, EU projects, as well as updates on the brand development strategy, including communications, the ICCE website, e-learning and campaigns. . The Board also reviewed the 2025 financial reports, EU project finances and a number of governance and administrative matters.

A key focus was ICCE’s Strategic Plan, with Board members discussing future priorities, committee activities, Terms of Reference and appointments. The Board also considered ICCE’s Ethics Position Paper, ICoachKids and the organisation’s travel policy.

The appointments reflect ICCE’s commitment to strengthening its strategic leadership, international relationships and regional representation, while supporting the continued development of coaching and coach education around the world.

Looking ahead, the Board discussed preparations for the Global Coach Conference 2027 in New Zealand, as well as the call for proposals for the 2029 conference. These discussions provided an opportunity to consider how ICCE can continue to strengthen its international role and support the development of high-quality coaching and coach education around the world.

The meeting at Beijing Sport University brought together Board members to review ICCE’s progress, address key organisational priorities and plan for the future. ICCE thanks Beijing Sport University for hosting the meeting and supporting continued international collaboration in coach development.