Karen Kumaki, director of the IQA Summer Games in Oxford this past July, is taking over the post of International Director from Andrea Hill.

Andrea, who served with distinction for years, worked very hard to build relationships with players and organizers around the world, frequently waking and going to bed at bizarre hours throughout the years to accommodate conference calls with people in other time zones. Karen has been selected to fill the position by Andrea and other IQA directors, and will be inheriting a strong legacy.

Karen herself has demonstrated a superb ability to rally and organize teams around the country, having served as event director for the IQA Summer Games, which saw teams from the USA, UK, France, Canada, and Australia. She helped raise money, communicate with attending teams, and organize the logistics for a complex and ultimately successful international event that helped her, and the league, build relationships with players around the globe. Like the new Canadian Director, Karen is bilingual and will be working on learning other languages to help with the expansion of quidditch around the globe.

Karen also distinguished herself early on in the development of quidditch, helping Reid Robinson found the first international team ever in IQA history at McGill University. She served as treasurer on that team and orchestrated internal management, including scheduling, fundraising, and in her own words, acting as “team mom.”

Currently the IQA has more than 200 clubs or teams playing quidditch outside of the US, in over 25 countries, that are registered on the website, and official membership plans in four countries total (UK is currently in process) and discussions are underway to consider making an event like the Summer games an annual or bi-annual event for nation teams only. Everyone at the IQA is excited to work with Karen to help develop quidditch into a truly global sport.

International teams can reach Karen at Karen.kumaki@internationalquidditch.org