The International Federation Icestocksport (IFI) mourns the death of Manfred Schäfer, IFI Honorary President, wo passed away out of the sudden and unexpected in his hometown Mannheim (Germany) at the age of 77.
Schäfer was elected IFI Honorary President in March 2020, after having served in the Position of IFI President since 1999 for the duration of 21 years. Earlier he worked for IFI in several positions since 1979, including the chairmanship of the IFI legal bodies. Together with his positions as a member of the Executive Committee of the German Icestocksport Federation (DESV), IFI President Christian Lindner honoured the lifetime work of Schäfer for Icestocksport.
“IFI mourns the death of our Honorary President Manfred Schäfer, who dedicated his lifetime work to Icesstocksport. No one gave more distinction to the international Icestocksport than he did. Taken as a whole, Schäfer has been a sports official for 56 Jahre years since 1966. That was the year when his path as an official began, as Media manager of DESV and Chairman of the Region Südwest. From 1999 to 2020 he presided over the International Federation Icestocksport that today comprises of 47 National Federations. Manfred Schäfer has attended all IFI congresses since 1979 and was elected deputy chair of the Legal and Disciplinary Committee in the same year. Three years later, in 1982, he additionally took on the leadership of the Sports Court of Appeal. His time as President had come in 1999, when he was elected President of the International Federation Icestocksport with a vast majority. Over the years our now Honorary President managed to increase the number of members to 47 Nations as per today. Since November 2003 he was striving to make Icestocksport an Olympic Programme sport. The inclusion of Icestocksport in the Olympic Programme was always his goal”, declared IFI President Christian Lindner.
“Manfred Schäfer laid the foundations for this by pursuing with his tireless efforts the recognition by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) which IFI finally was granted by the IOC Executive Board in 2018 and confirmed as full recognition by the IOC Session in Tokyo 2021“.
„Whilst the dream of Manfred Schäfer of an Olympic future of Icestocksport has yet to become true, we are convinced that we honour his legacy best by pursuing this dream further“.
„We take a bow to a tireless fighter for Icestocksport. We never will forget him and always honour his memory“.
“Our condolences and deepest sympathy go to his wife Monika and his family.”