The Belgian Veterans Federation and Les Mousquetaires Cinaciens are joining forces to organise the next European Veterans Team Championships from 9 to 12 May 2024 at the Ciney exhibition hall. On this occasion, we will be welcoming nearly 120 teams, i.e. around 600 shooters and their entourage.

It's important to bring to the fore the enormous amount of work involved in organising this event. Without an organised team and many volunteers, it would be impossible to stage such an event.

The honor of being able to organize this important event belongs to Belgium, the founding country of the EVF in 1991 in Loughborough. After having organized the individual European championships in Liège in 1993 and the team European championships in Antwerp in 2002, we are proud to host the 2024 edition of this fine competition, which was initially scheduled to take place in Brussels in 2020 but unfortunately had to be cancelled due to the Covid pandemic.

For us, this event is a great opportunity to promote the sport among veterans and to strengthen the role of veterans within our sport.

Practising a sporting activity among veterans has many physical benefits. Sport helps to maintain good physical condition, strengthen muscles, improve heart health and so on. But the physical benefits of veteran sport are not the only ones. It's also good for mental health and general well-being.

In addition to these individual benefits, taking part in a sporting activity also helps to create or maintain social contacts with people who share the same passion.

Finally, I'd like to thank the public authorities for their support. Without this support, this fantastic project would not have been possible.

On behalf of European Veterans Fencing it is a great pleasure to welcome you to the 2024 European Veterans Team Fencing Championships in Ciney..

We are looking forward to welcoming some 110 teams from 20 countries which represents a huge celebration of Veteran Fencing in Europe.

Lifelong and newly developed rivalries and friendships will be played out in a friendly atmosphere which demonstrates that fencing is a sport that can be enjoyed by everyone of all ages and locations and explains the continuing growth of Veterans Fencing throughout Europe and the rest of the World.

This year we will all be enjoying Belgian hospitality in the town of Ciney.

I congratulate Olivier DeBondt and the Ciney 2024 Organising Committee on the enormous work they have accomplished and look forward to celebrating our European Fencers of the Year and crowning the next group of European Veteran Team Fencing Champions.