Dear Supporters of the sport of Memory.
Almost three decades ago, my dear friend, the late Prof Tony Buzan and I together took the revolutionary step of creating a new Mind Sport, founding the First World Memory Championship.
This inaugural World Championship was won by Dominic O’ Brien who went on to win seven further championships.
Tony and I were delighted that this December the 28th World Championship will take place In Wuhan, China. May I take this opportunity to congratulate and thank our wonderful Chinese friends, in particular in this year 2019, the 70 th anniversary of the Foundation of The Peoples Republic of China.
Tony and I started in 1991 with fewer than ten participants, while in Wuhan the entrants will number in the many hundreds. Since Memory sport was started by Tony and myself over 30,000 people have now competed in our events world-wide. A staggering total!!
The World Memory Sports Council is now established as the governing body of the world mind sport of Memory, sensational results have been achieved, in particular by teenage girl world champions from Mongolia and China, and the WMSC has attained the singular honour and distinction of being the sole organisation entrusted by Guinness World Records to ratify Memory Records gained in open competition.
It is inevitable and flattering of course, that others will try to copy our gigantic success story in having created an entirely new sport. Indeed, WMSC welcomes any and all people who support the sport and spread of Memory skills. The more the merrier.
More memory competition means the greater expansion of Tony Buzan’s philanthropic ideals of bringing mental power to the maximum number of people on the planet, whether young or old, male, female or other .
Furthermore, we at WMSC reject all boundaries of race, creed or political persuasion. Everyone is welcome!
Anyone who wishes to work alongside the WMSC at a National Level is made very welcome and we will be inducting several new National Memory Sports Councils at our 2019 World Memory Championship. Not everyone will, of course, wish to join the founding organization and we respect their decision.
I have one reservation in this respect. As new organisations come into the sport and flourish they should be particularly mindful of not attempting to “pass off” their events as the original concept.
Imitation is indeed the most sincere form of flattery but inferring that the achievements, title holders and champions of the WMSC, built up over thirty years belong in any way to their new organisation is neither honorable,respectful of the legacy of the late Tony Buzan, who only died a few months ago, nor indeed legal .
Whilst we at WMSC are delighted that so many people wish to emulate our history and our success, our business partners and government sponsors in our host countries may prove to be less charitable to those who attempt to do so. We should hate for a newly instigated memory group to be subject to any legal challenge in its embryonic stages.
I therefore look forward to welcoming all supporters of the growth of the world wide sport of Memory as they enter the official 28th WMSC World Memory Championship in Wuhan. There we will be celebrating our 28th successful year and also remembering fondly our originator ,co-founder and inspiration Tony Buzan while celebrating our global partnership with Guinness World Records as their official partners in all things Memory Sports.
Looking forward to seeing you for the 28th World Championship in Wuhan, looking forward to the manifold breaking of Guinness World Records and looking forward finally to crowning the best of the best as the genuine world champion in Wuhan.
Raymond Keene OBE
Global President
World Memory Sports Council
Tony Buzan International Ltd