Dear Friends of gymnastics,

The entire Rhythmic Gymnastics community is looking forward to attending these FIG World Championships! After Osaka 1999, this important event will be hosted in Japan, a country with a long tradition in gymnastics, which makes me happy and proud. We consider it an honour that your country and your region fully dedicated to Gymnastics will be hosting these 29th Rhythmic Gymnastics World Championships.

After having had the opportunity to visit the host city and the Prefecture of Mie, the venue and its wonderful Sun Arena, which was also the venue of the 2006 World Cup Final, I am confident that this event will be a success for rhythmic gymnastics fans, public and sponsors as well as for the Local Organising Committee and the Japan Gymnastic Association.

As President of the FIG and on behalf of the Authorities’ members, I would like to express my gratitude to Hidenori Futagi, President of the Organising Committee and of the Japan Gymnastic Association, to the Prefecture of Mie and its Governor Akihiko Noro, and to all those involved in the preparation of the event.

I am proud to confirm to the audience and to the media that Mie will show the best of our sport!

I wish full success to the gymnasts, delegation members, judges and officials and I hope that this World Championships will meet all their expectations.

With my kind regards.

Bruno Grandi
FIG President