IHRSA Appoints New International Ambassadors
BOSTON – The International Health, Racquet and Sportsclub Association (IHRSA) announces the appointment of its newest International Ambassadors: Egypt - Tamer Farag (Global Sports Company); India - Pankaj Balwani (Advansys); Italy - Gianluca Scazzosi (Wellink); and Japan - Takenori Furuya (Club Business Japan). Recently appointed IHRSA Ambassadors include Luke Chen of China, and Doug Miller of Sales Makers International in Scandinavia. They all join Canada’s Don Longwell (founder of Fitness Business Canada) and others around the world whose role is to help strengthen the connections within the international health and fitness community.
“IHRSA’s international ambassadors bring a wealth of experience and expertise from across the global industry,” says IHRSA president and CEO Joe Moore. “Not only does each new ambassador represent their respective countries, but also the global industry as a whole.”
Tamer Farag (Egypt) is CEO of Global Sports Company, which has a sub-franchise of Gold’s Gym in Zayed, Africa, along with a Royal SPA facility and Equilibrium brand. His group is expanding in Egypt and the Middle East in health and fitness, beauty, and spas. He has lectured for ISSA for personal trainers, and is also an IDEA Ambassador.
Pankaj Balwani (India) developed Advansis India Private Ltd. over the past five years as a manufacturer and supplier of Isokinetix rehabilitation equipment. Advansis now supplies full solutions for fitness, rehab and health diagnosis solutions, along with promoting women’s fitness and geriatric fitness solutions in India. Balwani’s ultimate goal includes making the Indian fitness industry self-regulating through the formation of an Indian Fitness Association representing clubs and suppliers from India. This association would represent the Indian industry and assist in providing standards, certifications, and communications about the health and fitness industry.
Takenori Furuya (Japan), while at Senoh Corporation, created the “Fitness Management” booklet provided to customers of the top exercise equipment manufacturer in Japan. This publication then developed into Senoh’s monthly Club Management magazine. Taking the magazine independent to provide a neutral influence to the industry, he renamed it Fitness Business [editor’s note: no relation to Fitness Business Canada]. Furuya’s company, Club Business Japan Inc., has three fitness magazines and conducts educational seminars and club tours for club operators in Japan.
Gianluca Scazzosi (Italy) has spent 20 years as a fitness entrepreneur, manager and consultant. He has run development projects for some of the major Italian fitness chains, and was operations director of Fitness First. He is now the founder and managing director of Wellink, a company that provides consulting services to clubs, spa, wellness facilities and corporations and develops new business ventures in the industry.
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