80th Anniversary of Hafnarfjörður´s Sports Association

Hafnarfjörður´s Sports Accosiation for eighty years

Early last week, a group of people who represent Hafnarfjörður´s sports community celebrated the 80th anniversary of ÍBH, Hafnarfjörður´s Sports Association. The alliance was founded on April the 28th, in 1945.

Mayor, Valdimar Víðisson, congratulated the association on the occasion. He met with the sports representatives, the sports and leisure committee, the board of ÍBH and representatives of ÍSÍ and UMFÍ. Also former sports representative Ingvar Jónsson and Elísabet Ólafsdóttir, managing director of ÍBH.

Sports have changed a lot

Elísabet says that Ingvar played a big part in the construction of sports facilities one by one here in Hafnarfjörður. “It was really nice that he could be with us today to celebrate,” says Elísabet, who has been the company’s managing director since 2008. “Yes, I’ve been in this industry for 39 years: Working in physical education and coaching,” she replies.

But has much changed in this time? “A lot,” she says. Sports activities have completely changed with an emphasis on having educated coaches working with the children; one of the main focuses of the last three decades. “When I was young, it was just someone. We have followed up on this systematically and have had incentives in relation to formal coach education and that the sports clubs get the children to train regularly.”

Impressive sports facilities

Elísabet says that the main issue from the beginning however, has been to receive proper sports facilities. “We’re still at that point. Now we have fantastic sports facilities, as we not only have children who are more involved in sports activities, but great young people and young adults who are achieving great things,” she says.

Congratulations on your 80th anniversary!

Read about the history of the association here (Icelandic).