World Bamboo Organization

World Bamboo Organization Founded as the International Bamboo Association (IBA), the idea for an international coordinating body for bamboo practitioners was born out of discussions at the International Bamboo Workshop in Chiang Mai, Thailand in 1991. The IBA was consequently established at the 1992 International Bamboo Congress in Japan. Through 1998 the IBA had been the coordinating platform for bamboo people around the world, with its primary responsibility being the International Bamboo Congress & International Bamboo Workshop. A union of these two distinct gatherings is today called the World Bamboo Congress, and has led to the rebirth of the IBA into the World Bamboo Organization. The WBO was legally formed as a U.S. tax-exempt trade association in 2005 by CEO Susanne Lucas. She currently holds the position of Executive Director, WBO Ambassador and is the author of Bamboo. Kamesh Salam (Assam, India) served as President 2007-2009. Michel Abadie (Paris, France) served his first term as President from 2010-2012, and was reappointed a second term in 2013 and has continued his role to the present.

Ashwini Ponnappa Birthday

Ashwini Ponnappa Machimanda (born 18 September 1989) is an Indian badminton player who represents the country at the international badminton circuit in both the women’s and mixed doubles disciplines. She had a successful partnership with Jwala Gutta as the pair has won many medals in international events including a gold medal at the Commonwealth Games and bronze medals at the Uber Cup and the Asian Badminton Championships. They were consistently ranked among the top 20 in the BWF World Ranking reaching as high as no. 10. Ponnappa and Gutta also won the bronze medal at the BWF World Championships in 2011, becoming the first Indian pair and women and only the second overall to win a medal at the World Championships.