Sporting for All – Bringing sports to everyone

GAISF recently concluded the second of two Safeguarding Workshops, co-organised with the International Olympic Committee (IOC), designed for International Sports Federations to learn ways to take meaningful action to create safe sporting environments for athletes. The workshops, which were delivered by specialised consultancy and project delivery company IGNITX, were held on 21 and 28 April 2021. A total of 79 people from 42 organisations attended the two Safeguarding Workshops, of which the majority were from the Association of IOC Recognised International Sport Federations (ARISF) and Alliance of Independent recognised Members of Sport (AIMS). In the first workshop, participants were able to consider and discuss the concept of environmental risks and risk factors which exist within sports communities. These discussions were then built upon during the second workshop as participants were tasked with identifying the top three issues within their own communities and suggesting practical strategies that could be implemented to mitigate these risks and create a safe, inclusive sports environment. GAISF President Raffaele Chiulli said: “GAISF is committed to providing an invaluable service to its Members, and workshops on important issues such as safeguarding in sport is just one of many key areas we target. It was encouraging to see the […]

                               WADA COLLABORATES WITH INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS TO RAISE THE VISIBILITY OF SOCIAL SCIENCE RESEARCH IN SPORT Stakeholders interested in improving social science research regarding sport integrity are invited to respond to a short survey by 31 May Montreal, 27 April 2021 Dear Colleagues, The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) is pleased to announce the launch of a Social Science Research (SSR) Collaboration Platform established by WADA in partnership with the Council of Europe, the European Commission, the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the Partnership for Clean Competition (PCC) and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to raise the visibility of social science research in Sport. The Social Science Research Collaboration Platform is an informal “community of practice” for international organizations that fund or support social science research in sport integrity matters. Its focus is to share best practices and raise the visibility of social science research to increase its usability and, ultimately, its impact on the sporting system. The organizations involved engage to share experiences using their collective insights to improve the benefits of social science research, including reducing duplication of research and importantly, improving the way in which social […]

Dignitaries Welcome SportAccord Delegation as Russia Gears Up for SportAccord 2021 in Ekaterinburg LAUSANNE, Switzerland – Dmitry Chernyshenko, Russian Federation Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the SportAccord 2021 Organising Committee, Igor Levitin, Aide to the President of the Russian Federation, and Minister of Sport Oleg Matytsin have hosted a positive meeting with SportAccord President Raffaele Chiulli and Managing Director Nis Hatt. Dr. Chiulli and Mr. Hatt were welcomed less than seven months before the rescheduled SportAccord World Sport & Business Summit 2021 takes place from 7-12 November in Ekaterinburg, Russia. Mr. Chernyshenko said: “The Summit is one of the largest international sporting events. The preparations are being carried out on behalf of Russian President Vladimir Putin. We make every effort to ensure that this event is held at the highest level.” Mr. Chernyshenko went on to say: “Particular attention will be paid to the preparation of a cultural and business program for participants and guests of Russia. Today, representatives from more than 50 countries have already been registered, such as Argentina, Australia, Japan, Malaysia, France, Germany, Singapore, etc.” The commitment to ensuring the highest level of safety and security of delegates was reiterated with special attention being paid to the […]

                   The objective of this workshop will be to introduce the concept of environmental risk as a key component to the manifestation of abuse in the sports community and to stimulate IFs to consider the opportunity to take meaningful actions towards creating safe sporting environments through organisation risk assessments, mitigation strategies, education and awareness. Athletes’ safety and wellbeing is a priority and a core value for the IOC, which is committed to leading and supporting the Olympic Movement in the implementation of safeguarding measures, in line with its mission stated in the Olympic Charter to “promote safe sport and the protection of athletes from all forms of harassment and abuse”. “All athletes have the right to safe sport, which is respectful, fair, equitable, and free from all forms of harassment, discrimination and abuse,” said HRH Prince Feisal Al Hussein, IOC Executive Board Member and Chair of the IOC Prevention of Harassment and Abuse (PHAS) in Sport Working Group. “On this principle lie the IOC Athlete Safeguarding initiatives, which are in line with Safer Sport Day’s objectives to raise awareness and encourage sports organisations to take action.” GAISF Vice President and AIMS President, Stephan Fox stated, “We […]

On the International Day of Sport for Development and Peace (IDSDP), Iranian taekwondo athlete Ali Noghandoost, an Olympic Solidarity Refugee Athlete Scholarship-Holder hoping to qualify for the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 with the Refugee Olympic Team, reflects on his journey from Iran to Europe and how sport has helped him to rebuild his life. Ali was forced to flee his native country with his brothers and sister in 2015, leaving everything behind to run to Istanbul, Turkey, before embarking on a perilous journey in search of asylum in Europe. The most challenging part of his journey came in a three-and-a-half-hour boat ride from Turkey to Greece, where he realised that other refugees did not survive their own attempts to find safety.                                                                                                                                              TAEKWONDO Ali joined his first taekwondo club at eight […]

United Through Sports and IPF sign Memorandum of Understanding Luxembourg/Bangkok, 9 April 2021 Recently the IPF and United Through Sports (UTS) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to strengthen the cooperation in developing sport for underprivileged young sports kids as well as for people with a handicap. During the signing of the MOU, AIMS and UTS President Mr. Stephan Fox honoured the active role of  IPF in terms of supporting the youth. „Over the last years, under the energetic leadership of President Gaston, IPF has done  outstanding work in so many areas, from anti-doping, inclusion, promoting equality and certainly youth development“ Mr. Fox says. The IPF organised together with UTS a competition for special olympic athletes during the World Championships 2019 in Dubai as well as a conference „United Through Sports – United in Powerlifting“ with representatives from IWGA, GAISF, AIMS as well as IPF Athletes. In 2021 both organisations will lift the cooperation on an even higher level with signing the MOU. In October during the IPF Bench Press World Championships will be organised the first „Unified Bench Press Competition“ where lifters from IPF, IPC, Special Olympics and IBSA will lift together in the same event. „This shows that […]

AIMS and UTS President, Stephan Fox congratulated JJIF for this outstanding initiative, congratulating JJIF President, Panagiotis Theodoropoulos which is also the AIMS vice president. JJIF, as an organisation and individually has done outstanding work. Meggie Ochoa, Jujitsu champion and founder of ‘Fight To Protect’ has been one of the key note speakers at the last United Through Sports World Conference and BJJ for the Deaf Youth Philippines has won the world youth ambassador at the UTS World Virtual Youth Festival. President Fox stated that this session no doubt will be highly interactive and at the end no doubt all participants will walk away with a series of tools for designing solutions which is well needed. UPDATE: #repost The Ju-Jitsu International Federation (JJIF) recognizes the fact that sport can significantly impact individuals, communities and societies through the transformation of lives. In their sport, we see various projects and initiatives that have demonstrated this. JJIF will host an event to give recognition to such impactful projects as they work towards shared developmental objectives. Join JJIF & UTS on April 10 at 5:00pm (Dubai time) as we celebrate the International Day of Sport for Development and Peace with the launch of the “Ju-Jitsu […]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 7 April 2021 New dates confirmed for SportAccord 2021 as 19th edition now set for November in Ekaterinburg LAUSANNE, Switzerland – SportAccord has confirmed new dates for the SportAccord World Sport & Business Summit 2021, with sport’s most influential global gathering now set to take place from 7-12 November 2021 in Ekaterinburg, Russia at the IEC Ekaterinburg-Expo. The decision to push back the dates for the World Sport & Business Summit to November was taken by the SportAccord Executive Committee. SportAccord is in close dialogue with its partners in Ekaterinburg, the Sverdlovsk Oblast region, and the Russian Federation. This move will provide greater safety and certainty to attendees in the context of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic but certainly to allow the greatest impact for our hosts. “We are immensely grateful for the collaborative support of our friends in Ekaterinburg, the Sverdlovsk Region and the Russian Federation,” said Dr. Raffaele Chiulli, President of SportAccord and GAISF (Global Association of International Sports Federations). “As always, the wellbeing of our delegates is our priority, and we believe that moving SportAccord to later in the year will give those wishing to attend the event more time to put in place the necessary […]

The Global Association of International Sports Federations (GAISF) and sportanddev have today signed a partnership agreement to promote sustainable development initiatives of International Sports Federations and the global sports community. Launched as part of GAISF’s International Day of Sport for Development and Peace activities, the content-sharing partnership will see sportanddev publish sustainability.sport content on its platforms and vice versa. sportanddev is the leading global hub for the sport and development community to share knowledge, build good practice, coordinate with others and create partnerships. GAISF President Raffaele Chiulli said: “We are delighted to mark the International Day of Sport for Development and Peace by partnering with sportanddev to promote sustainable development initiatives by GAISF Members around the world. Sustainability.sport and sportanddev are both invaluable platforms for sports organisations aiming to champion good causes, so this partnership is a perfect fit.” sportanddev Senior Project Manager Paul Hunt said: “We are very excited to sign this partnership with GAISF, which will help grow the sport and development community while inspiring more sports organisations to share knowledge, best practice and create new partnerships. Ultimately, this partnership will help amplify the message that sustainable development is truly at the heart of sport.” Celebrated annually, the International Day […]

Let us continue to use sports towards equality, inclusion and non-discrimination. and let us stand together for tolerance, respect and peace. Let us continue to work in unity and global solidarity towards a better tomorrow.

Male allyship, establishing a gender equality action plan and developing initiatives to grow the number of women technical officials were the three topics covered in the International Olympic Committee (IOC)’s second Gender Equality Webinar Series for the Olympic Movement. In total, some 1,850 participants from International Federations (IFs), National Olympic Committees (NOCs) and National Federations (NFs) registered to join the online sessions. The webinars were held throughout the month of March and followed on from the successful webinar series held in September 2020, with the IOC delivering another round of online presentations and discussions in collaboration with the Association of Summer Olympic International Federations (ASOIF) and the Association of International Olympic Winter Sports Federations (AIOWF). The goal: to provide practical examples and initiatives that the Olympic Movement stakeholders can implement to increase the number of female leaders in sport in accordance with Olympic Agenda 2020+5. ACTIONS MEN CAN TAKE TO ADVANCE GENDER EQUALITY IN SPORT When men are deliberately engaged in gender inclusion programmes, 96 per cent of organisations see progress – compared to only 30 per cent of organisations where men are not engaged. But what does it mean to be engaged with gender equality? This first webinar introduced the concept […]

Gee Won Yoo, an IOC Young Leader from South Korea, created the Dream Cup Project, which provides access to sport to young people from underprivileged communities. Through this project and her passion for sport and Olympism, Gee Won hopes to inspire the next generation of kids playing and learning through sport. PLEASE INTRODUCE YOURSELF AND SHARE HOW YOU GOT INTO THE IOC YOUNG LEADERS PROGRAMME. My name is Gee Won, and I am passionate about inclusion and the representation of minorities in Korean society – especially the younger generation. I am a recent graduate pursuing a career in international sport administration, and I started off my journey in sport during test events for the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympics. After working with the PyeongChang 2018 Organising Committee, I became more involved with the Olympic Movement. Following the Buenos Aires Youth Olympic Games in 2018, I was selected as an IOC Young Change Maker [later rebranded as IOC Young Leader] representing Team Korea. I am currently working at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of South Korea, preparing for the 2021 P4G (Partnership for Green Growth and Global Goals) Summit. DESCRIBE YOUR IOC YOUNG LEADERS PROJECT IN TERMS OF ITS OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES. […]

  Pencak silat a well-known martial art and combat sport is a sport included in the South East Asian Games and Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games. The international pencak silat federation has over 80 national federations around the world and has set its target to become a world recognised sport and martial art to be included in the GAISF and AIMS family. A virtual world congress was held with over 70 countries participating with many important speakers namely, Major General, Dr. HC. Eddy Marzuki Nalapraya, from Bapak Silat Indonesia and was one of the Founding fathers, 41 years ago Lieutenant General Prabowo Subianto, President of International Pencak Silat Federation, Indonesia Mr. Benny Soemarsono , Executive Chairman of International Pencak Silat Federation, Indonesia Mr. Teddy Soeratmadji, Secretary General of International Pencak Silat Federation, Indonesia Mr. Fariq Abdul Halim, Consultant of International Pencak Silat Federation, Singapore. The key note speaker was the AIMS president and GAISF vice president Mr. Stephan Fox.   Mr. Fox congratulated pencak silat on this important conference and made a detailed presentation on the criteria of becoming recognised by GAISF and a member of AIMS. He went through the entire recognition process to ensure that each and […]

FITEQ officially launches para teqball The International Teqball Federation (FITEQ) is delighted to announce the official launch of para teqball, paving the way for elite parasport athletes to excel in international competitions and for grassroots players all around to be inspired to try the world’s fastest growing sport. The official launch is headlined by the publication of the Official Rules and Regulations of Para Teqball and the Para Teqball Classification Regulations. Guided by its belief that sport is for all, FITEQ has always aimed to be as inclusive as possible. In parallel to the global development of teqball, FITEQ has therefore been in the process of developing the world’s newest parasport for the past three years. The creation of the Para Teqball Classification Regulations will now provide a structured framework for the sport and determine which athletes are eligible to compete in elite level events. There are two para teqball classes: Para Teqball Sport Class 1 (PTBSC 1), which is for athletes permanently requiring the use of crutches, and Para Teqball Sport Class 2 (PTBSC 2), which is for athletes with a prosthesis. Ultimately, FITEQ intends to expand on the initial para teqball classification, so that as many people as possible can compete […]

Federation Internationale de Savate is the world governing body for the sport and the art of Savate. Savate, has a long history and it was in 1985 that FISav was born to unify Savate around the world. This year FISav is celebrating 36 years and has developed into a recognised and respectable federation, with national federations establish in more than 70 countries. FISav, is not only a member of AIMS and GAISF but FISav President Dr Julie Gabriel, with her energy, determination and vision is also an AIMS council member and has taken FISav to new heights.                                                   In the year of the pandemic which had an impact on all aspects of sports FISav has done outstanding work, to engage and encourage their members and athletes and had also played an important part in the success of the United Through Sports World Virtual Youth Festival. The AIMS family wishes FISav a very happy birthday and we are looking forward to a continued cooperation under the presidency of Dr Julie Gabriel.     

By Sir Andy Murray, two-time Olympic champion in tennis On the occasion of International Women’s Day, and just a few days after the IOC made landmark decisions demonstrating that gender equality is a reality at the Olympic Games, British tennis star and two-time Olympic champion Andy Murray shares his views on the role that women, including his former coach Amélie Mauresmo, have played throughout his career, and the barriers that still need to be overcome. When my brother Jamie and I were growing up, we lived very close to the local tennis courts in Dunblane (Scotland). Given my mum played tennis to a reasonable standard and was also a coach, it was inevitable we would end up playing. My mum has great energy and has been a workaholic ever since we were young, often getting up at 4 a.m. to start her day. She’s a role model for me through her determination, work ethic and drive to do what she wants to do. Even now, she’s still travelling everywhere and teaching on the court, trying to bring tennis to the masses and give kids, girls and female coaches an opportunity. I was coached by my mum from a young age and have […]

AIMS Congratulates IOC President Thomas Bach for Re-Election Thomas Bach, a true Olympic champion with the German ‘Foil’ fencing team at the Olympic Games in Montreal 1976, was elected at the IOC session in 2013 in Buenos Aires for the first 8 year term. This term will finish on the closing day of the Olympic Games in Tokyo on the 8th of August. The 137th IOC session which was held virtually re-elected Thomas Bach for another 4 year term which will conclude in 2025. Thomas Bach is an Olympian at heart, not only an Olympic Gold medal winner but also a 2 time World Champion in Montreal 1976 and Buenos Aires 1977. A founding member of the IOC Athletes Commission in 1981. He became an IOC member in 1991, serving many years as IOC vice president before he became president in September 2013. He initiated the Olympic Agenda 2020, and made important reforms for all the Olympic movement in 2014. The IOC session approved the closing report of the Olympic Agenda 2020, unanimously everyone agreed. The Olympic Agenda 2020 has changed the Olympic Games, the Olympic movement and the IOC. In his acceptance speech president Bach said, “we learnt during […]

FITEQ surpasses 100 National Federations  FITEQ has surpassed the significant milestone of recognising 100 National Teqball Federations after Equatorial Guinea, The Gambia, Norway, Gabon, Togo and Trinidad and Tobago were officially welcomed into the global teqball family this month, bringing the total number to 102. FITEQ has doubled its number of National Federations in under a year, having reached 50 in April 2020. FITEQ has placed significant emphasis on building the foundations for active and self-sustainable federations, recognising that they are the lifeblood of the sport. National Federations will continue to play integral an integral role in the sport’s global development as FITEQ looks to achieve its vision of enabling every person to participate in teqball or para teqball, whatever level that might be. FITEQ General Secretary Marius Vizer Jr reflected upon the milestone, saying, “The FITEQ Executive Board would like to thank all National Teqball Federations for their passion and hard work over the past few years, which has helped us reach this moment in record time. Without our federations, teqball would not have grown across all five continents at the pace that is has. Looking ahead, we will continue to put great effort and resources into our National Federation […]

GLOBAL SPORTS COMMUNITY TO CELEBRATE INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY The global sports community will celebrate #InternationalWomensDay on Monday 8 March, a day marked around the world to recognise the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women and raise awareness about women’s equality. “International Women’s Day marks an important opportunity for the global sports community to once again ask itself what more it can do to help accelerate gender equality in sport,” GAISF President Raffaele Chiulli said. “I am very encouraged by the ongoing work of International Sports Federations and the sports community to increase visibility for women’s sport. Now, as we look towards the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, we are set to witness the most gender-balanced Games ever, with female athlete participation at 49 per cent, and this is a sign of great progress towards equal representation and an equal playing field. “However, we must continue to choose to challenge, taking action for equality and speaking out against gender bias. So I encourage all our Members to celebrate women’s achievements both on and off the field of play and harness the power of sport to collectively help create an inclusive world with gender equality.” GAISF is encouraging its Members and […]

AIMS Celebrates International Women’s Day   Sport is one of the most powerful platforms on which to spotlight gender equality. Since its inauguration in 2009, AIMS has taken strategic steps towards narrowing the gender gap both on and off the field of play. It is AIMS’ strong belief that gender equality is of profound importance, a basic human right and a fundamental principle of the Olympic charter. In 2015, AIMS and UN Women signed an important MoU for cooperation and since then, a representative of UN Woman has spoken at the AIMS General Assembly in 2015, 2017 and 2018. The aim of AIMS is to continue to work with the federations towards a realistic approach in achieving gender equality as much on as off the field of play. The AIMS council consists of 3 female members Helen Lundberg the President of International Federation of Sled dog Sports, Dr Julie Gabriel President of Federation Internationale de Savate and Sabine Shanahan representing the World Darts Federation, the AIMS executive secretary Ravi Dent is also female. AIMS President Stephan Fox stated, “AIMS stands for family and in a family its members stand side by side to provide and work for the next generation. […]

World Taekwondo STAY TUNED for the 2nd World Taekwondo Gender Equity & Women Leadership Forum It will be held at 13:00-15:30 CET on MARCH 6-7. Amazing speakers are ready to talk about gender equity in sport. You can simply join and support the forum by registering yourself through the link below or by scanning the QR code in the photo. https://us02web.zoom.us/…/reg…/WN_vUyxpLd-R8W9I9r-U9vj7A

IFA PRESIDENT VOLUNTEERS AT THE FIS NORDIC WORLD SKI CHAMPIONSHIPS IN OBERSTDORF/Germany Currently the German city Oberstdorf is the centre of nordic wintersports. During twelve days the world champions in ski jumping, cross-country skiing and Nordic combined will be crowned at the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships. And as part of the 1400 volunteers and very close to the athletes is IFA President Jörn Verleger. As one of the nearby 40 anti-doping chaperone he becomes the shadow of the cross-country skiers as soon as they cross the finish line. The French word translates as supervisor. The 48-year-old was on duty as a volunteer in the cross-country stadium during the first week of the World Championships and accompanies the athletes until the doping control. “In the process, I first inform the athlete about the upcoming control and do not let him out of my sight afterwards,” says Verleger. This is to guarantee that the “chosen ones” go for a doping test without delay. “We all want the sport to stay clean,” says the German, who is also enganged as Anti-Doping Administrator in other IFs like the World Flying Disc Federation (WFDF). The fight against doping is not just about the tests, […]

The International Jump Rope Union (IJRU) and the Olympic Channel have announced a collaboration agreement. Through this partnership, IJRU will work with the Olympic Channel to broadcast and promote a series of jump rope events through event coverage, highlights, magazine shows, news coverage, and original programming. “We are excited to welcome the IJRU to the Olympic Channel,” said Mark Parkman, general manager of the Olympic Channel. “The Olympic Channel platform continues to evolve and provide more exposure and reach for a number of sports to our global audience.” This presents a major opportunity for the sport of jump rope/rope skipping, the IJRU, and our member federations. With the support of the Olympic Channel, IJRU will be able to reach a broader global audience, increase engagement, and promote our sport and athletes alongside those within the Olympic Movement. “We are honoured to be in partnership with the Olympic Channel and the wider Olympic Movement and we are excited for the opportunity to provide greater exposure to our sport, amazing athletes and members.” said Shaun Hamilton, president of the International Jump Rope Union. “Through this partnership, we hope to highlight this fun sport’s athleticism and creativity.” About the Olympic Channel The Olympic […]

POWERLIFTING SUPERSTAR 2ND RUNNER-UP Four-times The World Games Champion Larysa Soloviova’s sports career began at the age of six, and in all ten school years she was active in gymnastics, where she reached the level of Master of Sports in the Ukraine. However in 1995 the gymnastics club in her town was closed. “I had to think seriously about what to do next. And I had good luck: next to the gymnastics club there was a gym. I began to visit it to keep fit,” Soloviova says. “After a few training sessions, a Powerlifting coach approached me. He was closely watching my training and suggested that I try my hand at Powerlifting. I thought “why not”, and only two months later, performing at the Ukrainian Nationals I reached the level of Master of Sports in Ukraine, with a bronze medal in overall competitions! I realised that this was exactly the thing I wanted to do in my life,” Soloviova says. In 2005 Larysa Soloviova took part in The World Games for the first time in Duisburg, Germany, and directly won her class. Then she took a gold medal in the 2009, 2013 and 2017 editions of the Games. Besides that, she is a nine-times world champion (IPF), three-times European champion (EPF) and twelve-times champion […]

  Don’t forget to register for today’s important Anti-Doping Webinar hosted by the International Testing Agency! This is the second webinar for 2021’s 12 part, year long series of Anti-Doping Education webinars and a fantastic opportunity for all to listen and learn about the doping control process from the line-up of amazing experts and speakers. The topic discussed today is: Doping Control – be prepared for any scenario Description: This month’s session will focus on the doping control process. Presenters will cover a variety of scenarios that can occur during sample collection – from delays to partial and diluted samples to modifications to the process. All these and other questions will be answered by experienced Doping Control Officers – and there will be plenty of time for your own questions. Time: Feb 25, 2021 02:00 PM in Zurich Presenters for this session:   Jasmina Glad-Schreven – Former national-level endurance athlete, international DCO and trainer with over 15 years of experience in anti-doping Taja Petric – Former international-level gymnast and cheerleader, DCO with over 15 years of experience in anti-doping Janice Lyn – Professional muaythai fighter and trainer, Three-time World Champion, IFMA Athletes’ Commission Chair To register for this webinar please follow this link: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_Jn6XbxiXQxedfr4Vdd8akg   If you missed ITA’s last […]

IPC welcome new Tokyo 2020 President Seiko Hashimoto ‘The whole of the IPC and Paralympic Movement look forward to working with her and wish her the best of luck in her new role’ Following the appointment of Ms Seiko Hashimoto as the President of the Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee, International Paralympic Committee (IPC) President Andrew Parsons said: “I would like to congratulate Ms Hashimoto on her appointment as the new President of the Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee. Ms Hashimoto is familiar to us due to her former role as Olympic and Paralympic Games Minister and made a great impression on me each time we have met or communicated previously.  The whole of the IPC and Paralympic Movement look forward to working with her and wish her the best of luck in her new role. “She knows the Games environment well as a seven-time Olympian and former Games Minister, is well connected politically and will bring a strong athlete viewpoint to the Organising Committee. As the former Minister of State for Gender Equality and Minister in Charge of Women’s Empowerment, I look forward to her to using the Games as a platform to advance the diversity and inclusion agenda, not just […]

THE EXECUTIVE BOARD (EB) OF THE INTERNATIONAL OLYMPIC COMMITTEE (IOC) HAS PROPOSED A NEW STRATEGIC ROADMAP, OLYMPIC AGENDA 2020+5, TO THE UPCOMING IOC SESSION. IT CONSISTS OF 15 RECOMMENDATIONS. THE NEW ROADMAP FOLLOWS OLYMPIC AGENDA 2020 AND WILL GUIDE THE WORK OF THE IOC AND THE OLYMPIC MOVEMENT FOR THE NEXT FIVE YEARS. OLYMPIC AGENDA 2020+5 WILL BE SUBMITTED TO THE IOC MEMBERS FOR DISCUSSION AND ADOPTION AT THE 137TH IOC SESSION IN MARCH THIS YEAR. THE TITLE, OLYMPIC AGENDA 2020+5, HAS BEEN CHOSEN TO REFLECT THE FACT THAT THIS NEW ROADMAP IS THE SUCCESSOR TO OLYMPIC AGENDA 2020 AND WILL GUIDE THE WORK OF THE IOC AND THE OLYMPIC MOVEMENT UNTIL 2025. Olympic Agenda 2020+5 builds on the results of Olympic Agenda 2020 which, in the six years since it was adopted in December 2014, has had a profound impact. It has strengthened the IOC and the Olympic Movement by introducing changes intended to make the Olympic Games fit for the future; safeguarded the Olympic values; and strengthened the role of sport in society. These achievements have laid solid foundations for the future (see IOC press release from 11 December 2020 and the full Closing Report of Olympic Agenda 2020). Now, as the […]

Parsons at Global Sports Week: ‘As we say at the IPC, Change Starts With Sport’ International Paralympic Committee (IPC) President Andrew Parsons joined an all-star panel of speakers to highlight the Paralympic Movement’s role in society during the Global Sports Week (GSW) Paris conference that concluded on 5 February. Broadcasted from its central hub at the Eifel Tower, the GSW was delivered digitally to almost 10,000 sports leaders, cultural change-makers, athletes, activists and emerging talents looking to ‘Shake, Shape and Share a new Future for Sport’ between business and society. Joining one of the most-anticipated topics ‘Sports as a Catalyst for Social Justice’ with Parsons was, CONCACAF Head of Women’s Football and Canadian national team player Karina LeBlanc, and NBA Deputy Commissioner and COO Mark Tatum. “Sport acting as a catalyst for social justice and social change is at the core of what we do at the Paralympic Movement,” Parsons said. “We have seen the change all around the world with the Paralympic Movement. How it has put a light to the fact that 15 per cent of the world’s population are people with disabilities; that is fundamental to understand, and we must bring that to the centre of inclusion […]

FITEQ’S RANKING IN TOP 10 INTERNATIONAL FEDERATIONS ON SOCIAL MEDIA SHOWCASES GLOBAL GROWTH OF TEQBALL FITEQ’s ranking in top 10 International Federations on social media showcases global growth of teqball The International Teqball Federation (FITEQ) has been ranked seventh overall in the BCW International Federation 2020 Social Media Ranking, whilst the governing body is ranked second amongst non-Olympic sports, demonstrating the global growth of teqball in recent years. This is the first year in which non-Olympic IFs have been included in the ranking, with FITEQ’s continued growth on social media in recent years placing amongst leading Olympic sports in the 2020 ranking. Teqball has 3.79 million fans across its digital platforms and is ranked in the top 10 for followers on Instagram, Facebook and TikTok for Olympic and non-Olympic IFs. FITEQ experienced significant growth on its social media channels in 2020, with digital content key to the sustained growth of teqball athletes and fans during the COVID-19 pandemic. On INSTAGRAM, FITEQ has over 650,000 followers and a growth rate of 37.9%, which makes it the eighth most followed IF on the platform. The engagement of FITEQ’s follower base is equally as impressive, with the sport ranked first for views per video […]

IFA celebrates inaugural World Fistball Day on 30 January This Saturday the International Fistball Association (IFA) is celebrating the inaugural World Fistball Day 2021 with many activities like the challenge “Fistball Clean Out”, a movie premiere “The Mighty Fist documentary”, an IFA Entourage Workshop on Safe Sport and Anti-Doping and an „Ask the Presidents“ session. IFA was founded on 30 January 1960. The date of the foundation of IFA will be celebrated as “World Fistball Day” in the future. IFA has asked the Fistball family to clear out Fistball wardrobe. “Send us your old – but still good – Fistball clothes (jerseys, training shirts, shorts), shoes, balls or nets and donate it for other Fistball players all over the world”. IFA takes care of the distribution of the donated equipment as part of the Fistball Development Program. Take a picture with your old Fistball equipment, post it on Facebook or Instagram with the Hashtag #WorldFistballDay and tag @IFA – International Fistball Association is the challenge to win prizes. The Entourage Workshop on Safe Sport and Anti-Doping broadcasted on Facebook at 1:30 p.m. CET is designed for all people, who love Fistball but who are not players on the pitch like […]

SARAN SPORTS LAUNCHES MATCH POKER TO CORPORATE INDIA 19th January 2021, Mumbai: The International Federation of Match Poker (IFMP) and it’s official Indian member federation, Match Poker India, have entered into an agreement with Saran Sports to launch Match Poker into corporates in India.   Since 1996, Saran Sports has always believed in introducing new concepts for the benefit of their corporate clients. Over 2,000 corporate teams and 28,000 corporate employees have participated in various sports championships over the years and across India. These activities act as a great leveller, motivating employees across the organization and serve as a stress-free forum for relaxed interaction amongst corporate executives – far removed from the tensions of the workplace.   We are proud to present for the first time in India, the sport of Match Poker, a fully recognised mind sport in an eSports wrapper. This team sport is played completely digitally, on mobile devices or tablets, and is free of conventional playing cards or chips.   Match Poker has been formally recognised as a sport since 2017, is a signatory to the World Anti-Doping (WADA) code and is played by over 60 national federations across 6 continents. The sport is all about […]

  19 January 2021, Lausanne – Switzerland BY ATHLETES FOR ATHLETES: THE ITA CONTINUES RAISING CLEAN SPORT AWARENESS WITH PUBLIC WEBINAR SERIES After a successful pilot series of publicly available clean sport webinars tailored to the needs of athletes and support personnel, the International Testing Agency (ITA) continues to cover important anti-doping topics in 2021. Supporting the delivery of this important initiative is Informed Sport, a global testing and certification program for sports supplements. In an effort to provide continuous and relevant anti-doping education during the first wave of the coronavirus pandemic, the ITA shifted its learning activities from event-based education to virtual sessions. In addition to custom education programs delivered to its partners, the ITA rolled out a series of five webinars that covered key anti-doping topics. These webinars were public and freely accessible, consistent with ITA’s belief in athlete empowerment with knowledge and information as one of the most effective ways to protect clean sport.   Thousands of athletes, athlete support personnel, members of federations and medical staff from all over the world joined the sessions and contributed to a dynamic discussion with the ITA education staff, guest athletes and expert voices. New topics and questions that needed to […]

The International Fistball Association (IFA) awarded its IFA 2020 SPORT FOR GOOD AWARD to United Through Sports President Stephan Fox and CEO Julia Govinden representing the world’s first ever United Through Sports World Virtual Youth Festival. With the IFA 2020 WOMEN IN SPORT AWARD the world governing body for Fistball honored all female sportswomen, who are involved in the medical and health sector worldwide represented by its Chairwomen of the Medical Commission Dr. Giana Hexsel from Brasil. Since 2019 IFA has established IFA AWARDS in several categories. The first award ceremony took place in Winterthur (Switzerland) within the framework of the IFA 2019 Fistball Men´s World Championship. The 2020 award ceremony will take place virtually. IFA WOMEN IN SPORT AWARD The IFA 2020 WOMEN IN SPORT AWARD goes to Dr. Giana Hexsel representing all female members of the medical and nursing staff. “Sometimes you just have to say thank you. Thank you to all those who still have the biggest part to play in the current COVID-19 crisis in care and hospital missions, women, who are there to help day and night”, said IFA President Jörn Verleger. “Dr. Giana Hexsel, who is doing an outstanding job not only within the Fistball […]

WADA LAUNCHES NEW AND IMPROVED ANTI-DOPING EDUCATION AND LEARNING PLATFORM (ADEL) Montreal, 6 January 2021 – Today, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) launched its Anti-Doping Education and Learning platform (ADEL), which is a new and improved version of the current Anti-Doping e-Learning platform (ADeL) that was launched in January 2018. Via the new ADEL platform, WADA will provide education and learning opportunities for the anti-doping community worldwide; including: athletes, coaches, parents, medical professionals and more. Additionally, on ADEL, anti-doping practitioners will be able to find learning opportunities to help them carry out their roles; and, resources to support development of their anti-doping programs. WADA Director General, Olivier Niggli, said: “WADA recognizes the power of education to its mission for doping-free sport. The launch of the new and improved ADEL is an important milestone. It demonstrates the Agency’s commitment to education and our intention to support the development of balanced anti-doping programs that include education as a core function by Anti-Doping Organizations. ADEL directly supports the objectives of the new International Standard for Education (ISE), which took effect on 1 January 2021 and is a very significant advancement in anti-doping education policy. We are very proud of these accomplishments. They are the result of a collaborative effort […]

Dear Colleagues and Friends, On behalf of the AIMS Council, the AIMS international office and certainly myself, we hope that you all had a healthy start in the new year 2021. We all experienced a challenging 2020 and indeed a unique year. I would like to thank you for your solidarity and your commitment in working together as one family. We know that the pandemic is still rampant in many countries and we now place our hope on the vaccine. As the current state of affairs dictates, for some months to come we will still find ourselves in turbulence, but with the lessons learnt and where we have become much stronger. We have created new opportunities of which many will undoubtedly continue past this pandemic. We must thank the medical experts, the scientists, healthcare givers and may we all look optimistically towards the future. In just over six months we will all witness the opening of the Tokyo Olympic Games. We are all in the hope and as President Bach stated that, “The Olympic flame will become the light at the end of the tunnel.” With the Paralympic Games, The Universiade and the many national and international events to come, sport […]

For International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach, the Olympic community has managed to turn what has been a unique and challenging 2020 into lessons and opportunities. In his New Year’s video message sent to the Olympic community today, President Bach recalls how the role of sport in different aspects of society has been strengthened during the COVID-19 pandemic. “The role of sport for physical and mental health, the role of sport for our social life, the role of sport for our economic life has been recognised widely,” he says. This has been achieved through a number of initiatives, including the “#StayStrong #StayActive #StayHealthy” campaign, a new cooperation agreement with the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the “Healthy Together” campaign in partnership with the United Nations (UN) and WHO. The same recognition has come from the UN General Assembly, which passed a resolution by consensus calling on the governments of the world to include sport in their recovery programmes. Both the General Assembly resolution and the latest G20 Leaders’ Summit declaration supported the forthcoming Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, to be held in 2021, and the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022. The IOC President reaffirms that Tokyo 2020 and Beijing 2022 will indeed be the priorities for the extraordinary […]

 UTS LEAVING A LEGACY GALA & AWARDS NIGHT As the world faces life changes due to the COVID-19 pandemic, United Through Sports joined forces with over 100 organisations in 2020 to promote inclusion, equality, non-discrimination and peace for and with the youth of the world. The world’s first ever virtual youth festival was held under the patronage of the IOC, IPC and Special Olympics, GAISF, SportAccord and AIMS hosted from Thailand to the world. Cities around the world including the Gold Coast, Ekaterinburg, Milano Cortina, Abu Dhabi, Astana, Washington D.C and Los Angeles also joined the festival events and organised activities for their youth. Special events were also organised giving displaced and refugee youth an opportunity to take part in the action. Where most events of 2020 were postponed or cancelled, this unifying event provided many opportunities for connection, sport and fun. Youth under 18 competed in 5 competitions: Max Fit, Aero Fit, IPC’s Inclusive Sports Challenge, the Special Olympics Unified Fitness Challenge and the Talent Competition. Whilst thousands of youth had the opportunity to shine, technical officials from all participating sports rolled up their sleeves to ensure the implementation of fair-play and judging. Each participating sport, Olympic and non-Olympic, nominated outstanding youth ambassadors sending […]

United Through Sports Leaving A Legacy Awards Gala More than 100 organizations and federations participated in the historical United Through Sports World Virtual Youth Festival 2020. While we are still finding ourselves in unprecedented times, the festival focused on promoting and nurturing: Inclusion, Non-discrimination, Equality and Peace.    The festival was granted patronage by the IOC, IPC, SOI, SportAccord, GAISF, AIMS and included 5 competitions: Aero Fit, Max Fit, Inclusive Sports, Talent and Unified Fitness Challenge.    Youth Ambassadors from all participating organizations and cities shared their own unique messages of peace and hopes for a better future at a time where we are all in need of hope and unity.   A special Gala event will be hosted on the 19th of December to celebrate the amazing achievements of the participating youth. We will announce the winners of Aero Fit, Max Fit and the Talent Show where special awards for Youth Ambassadors will also be presented.    The event is also about “Leaving a Legacy Behind” and donations will be made and gratefully accepted for disadvantaged youth in Thailand’s Tak Province refugee camps. These youth are currently in desperate need of support and any donation towards the cause will ensure […]

THE WORLD GAMES GREATEST ATHLETE OF ALL TIME Special year – special vote: this year we celebrate 40 years of The World Games, and have a special vote planned for this purpose: The World Games Greatest Athlete of All Time! Member federations have nominated 25 candidates for the online vote, and the list will be published immediately after New Year, on 4 January 2021. The candidates can be from any edition of The World Games’ 40 year long history, as long as they are or have been the best of the best. When the voting begins on 8th January 2021, the public audience can vote daily, everyone once per 24 hours, for their favourite. Like last year, they will also need to vote for another candidate at the same time. “The first candidate they choose gets two votes, and the second candidate one vote. We started with this initiative a year ago, in order to get The World Games family to know each other better; after choosing your favourite, you will choose a candidate from another sport too. This way you will get to see who else is there and with what kind of background story,” Communication Officer Anna Jacobson explains, and continues: […]

Today AIMS would like to shares panels 1-3 from the UTS World Virtual Youth Festival. We hope that you enjoy and share this with your friends and athletes. PANEL 1 “INCLUSIVITY, EQUALITY & NON-DISCRIMINATION IN SPORT” Join us to hear world views on how we can encourage a more inclusive world. Guest Scene Setter: Andrew Parsons, President, International Paralympic Committee PANELISTS Ben Haack, SOI, Board of Directors Cindy Sirinya Bishop, UN Women Thailand Ambassador Abhinav Bindra, IOC Athletes’ Commission Juan Pablo Salazar, IPC Board Member Naris Chaiyasoot, Chairman, SOI Thailand Board of Directors   PANEL 2 “OLYMPIC TRUTH: SPORT TOWARDS PEACE-PROMOTION” Guest Scene Setter: Julia Govinden CEO, United Through Sports Panelists Mohanned Al Arabiat, President, GFP James Chiengjiek Nyang, IOC Refugee Team Chungwon Choue, President WT/ THF Marius Vizer, President IJFJudo4Peace Link: https://youtu.be/qQMYGna8b-E   PANEL 3 “SPORT AS A HUMAN RIGHT, HUMAN RIGHTS IN SPORTS” Guest Scene Setter: HRH Princess Reema bint Bandar Al Saud Saudi Ambassador to the United States of America, IOC Member Panelists Michal Buchel, CEO, FIAS Phunyanuch Pattanotai, RTP Country Director, Thailand Elisa Salinas, Sport is Your Gang/ Vice President, IFMA Link: https://youtu.be/UPkFXsEfjU0

Welcome to the UTS World Virtual Youth Festival 2020 Opening Conference Please join us as we invite you to hear the leaders of the world send warm messages of support and solidarity towards the promotion of inclusion, equality, non discrimination and peace.

The International Paralympic Committee is an important partner of the United Through Sports initiative. Hundreds of youngsters from around the world joined the final competition. They needed to film themselves performing an exercise routine of their choice for 60 seconds maximum. Then they needed to spend 45 seconds to the camera explaining their motivation to participate in the challenge and what world leaders need to do to create a more accessible and inclusive future for all people. IPC President Andrew Parsons was the opening speaker for the Festival and the IPC, and participated in different Panels over the 5-day Conference. Furthermore, the I’mPOSSIBLE workshop held on 19 November saw over 2,000 participants from around the world learning about the Paralympic Movement and the Paralympic values. The Finals of the IPC Inclusive Sports Challenge really took the world by heart when the top 5 athletes in the Under 12 and Under 18 Categories were announced. The gold medal in the Under 12 division went to Harmonie-Rose Allen from the UK who showed us what inclusion and equality is all about. She is an amazing athlete and we are sure that we will hear much more from her in the future. Silver […]

CONGRATULATIONS IN ORDER TO ALL THE WINNERS AND FINALISTS! POSTED ON NOVEMBER 22, 2020 BY TEAM UTS A Big Day for Aero Fit! The Aero Fit competition was a big hit on the live stream with some amazing performances and it is time to announce the finalists! The Final in the Youth Under 10 Division will be between the International Cheer Union and the International Federation of Muaythai Associations. Congratulations to you! The Aero Fit Under 12 Finals will be between two International Cheer Union teams. Congratulations but a special mention must go to the Right to Play Youth Team, the World Dance Sport Federation and Team WAKO and all the other participants. Well Done! Aero Fit Under 14 we will have two amazing teams from the International Gymnastics Federation who made it to the Finals but a special mention must go to all the semi-finalists from team WAKO, WDF, the World Dodgeball Association, the World Flying Disc Federation. The contests were so close! The Under 16 Aero Fit Division was a very close contest and the finals will be between the International Cheer Union and the International Gymnastics Federation. The Under 18 Aero Fit Division saw some amazing semi-finals between FIG, WAKO, […]

Thailand Celebrates United Through Sports World Virtual Youth Festival 2020 The official opening of the United Through Sports World Virtual Youth Festival 2020 took place in Bangkok as the host of the event in a special gala night hosted by Thailand’s IOC Member, Khunying Patama Leeswadtrakul. The Youth Festival brought together over 100 organizations in celebration of United Nations World Children’s Day. The 5-day event under patronage of the IOC, IPC, SOI and many others lay under the slogan “One Spirit, One Heart” standing for inclusion, equality and nondiscrimination. Cities from around the world, Gold Coast, Australia, Ekaterinburg, Russia, Washington DC, United States, Milano Cortina, Abu Dhabi and so many others organized joint events. The opening speakers came from all organizations: IOC President, Thomas Bach, IPC President, Andrew Parsons, CEO of Special Olympics Mary Davis, the 8th UN General Secretary, Ban Ki-moon and GAISF and SportAccord President, Rafaelle Chiulli. Khunying Patama, the Chair of the LOC of the Festival, opened the evening with an emotional speech showing her pride for Thailand to host this historical event. She stated that now more than ever, the world must stand in solidarity and unity for and with the Youth of the world. She welcomed all […]

Bangkok, Thailand –  Over 100 international federations and organizations have come together united to showcase and promote inclusion, equality, non-discrimination and peace. Together they support the United Through Sports (UTS) World Virtual Youth Festival 2020 which is organized by United Through Sports. Amongst the organisations are the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) and Special Olympics International (SOI) who have all granted patronage to the event. The UTS World Virtual Youth Festival 2020 is a celebration for and with the youth of the world. There will be five festival competitions:  Max Fit, Aero Fit, Talent, IPC Inclusive Sports Challenge and Special Olympics Unified Fitness Challenge. IOC President, Thomas Bach said in a video message: “The IOC is excited that the UTS World Virtual Festival is inviting youth of all abilities and backgrounds from the International sports community and organizations using sport as a tool for a better world.” The IOC not only gave patronage to the event but is playing a very active role in the delivery of this innovative event. The Olympic Channel will be airing the Opening Ceremony and there could be no better day as November 20, United Nations World Children’s Day. The Closing Ceremony will also […]

The global sports community came together virtually yesterday for the GAISF General Assembly to reflect on the united front of sport in the face of this past year’s challenges, and vote on a number of key decisions including several applications for membership. “It has been a year and half of remarkable achievements. Especially since many of them have been in the face of remarkable challenges,” said GAISF President Chiulli during his address. “Sport showed once again how it can bring communities together and help us focus on the beauty of team effort, on the lessons of winning and losing with grace and fair play. Lessons that I believe are more important now than ever. As individual members of GAISF, we are all drops of water, some larger and some smaller. But together, we are an ocean. Together we are stronger.” Following the report of GAISF Membership Commission Chairman Mike Joyce, the GAISF family welcomed one new full Member, and two new Associate Members as the International Federation of Teqball (FITEQ), Association of Paralympic Sports Organisations (APSO) and World Transplant Games Federation (WTGF) all had their applications approved by the voting members. Learn more about these new Members here. Additionally, President Chiulli […]

The COVID-19 pandemic has been the mother of invention with regard to sporting initiatives this year – and the impending United Through Sports (UTS) Virtual Youth Festival 2020, the finals of which start on November 20, will be a uniquely ingenious and historic event. The Festival will bring Olympic and non-Olympic sports together under the patronage of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), International Paralympic Committee, Special Olympics, SportAccord and the Global Association of International Sports Federations. And that range of support is unprecedented according to Stephan Fox, President of the Alliance of Independent recognised Members of Sport (AIMS) and of UTS, which was founded by AIMS in 2017. “This is the first time that the IOC, the IPC and the Special Olympics have all been patronising and a part of the same event,” Fox told insidethegames. The first UTS Sports Festival took place at SportAccord 2018, held in Bangkok, and last year the event was hosted on Australia’s Gold Coast. This year the pandemic has caused a major re-think – and the world of sport has found a way forward that will enable young people from around the world, many of whom are living in poor conditions and refugee camps, to […]

UTS WORLD VIRTUAL YOUTH FESTIVAL OPENS REGISTRATION                                                         The United Through Sports World Virtual Youth Festival 2020 has brought 80 organisations together to united to move forward as one past this pandemic. The event is under patronage of IOC, IPC,SOI, SportAccord and GAISF promoting inclusion, non-discrimination, equality and peace. Youth from around the world have participated in qualification events to represent their organisations and are training enthusiastically every day to get ready for the grand finale from the 18-23 November. Our youth have the opportunity to participate during the UTS Festival in a variety of ways.  The Max Fit competition will test strength and endurance; Aero Fit will require artistic and rhythmic elements; the IPC and their inclusive sports division will require participants to submit two components: a 90 second routine and a 45 second request to the leaders of sport towards a better world inspired by the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Additionally, the Special Olympics is testing a new pilot sport model based on personal improvement which they will launch to the […]

As the United Nations (UN) celebrates its 75th anniversary, the President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Thomas Bach, has hailed the collaboration between the two organisations, while also emphasising the role that sport can play in fostering global solidarity in the face of the coronavirus crisis. Marking its historic anniversary, the UN launched a global consultation earlier this year to ask people about their hopes and fears for the future, and their priorities for international cooperation. Speaking on the occasion of a UN75 panel discussion to address the findings of this initiative, President Bach praised the work of the UN and highlighted its unique partnership with the IOC, which is built on common values and goals. “As the UN is celebrating 75 years of existence, we are proud to have decades of existing collaboration with the UN system on a very wide range of issues. The global pandemic has only underlined how important this cooperation is on so many levels,” said the IOC President. “Both our organisations are built on peace and solidarity and, as such, we are uniquely positioned to continue to work together in a partnership towards a better and more peaceful world. We are always stronger […]