Sporting for All – Bringing sports to everyone

  After a very successful and memorable convention in Bangkok this year in April, the Gold Coast was confirmed to host the world’s largest and most important world sport and business summit. It will be held at the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre from May the 5th to May the 10th, 2019. SportAccord President Patrick Baumann revealed that the success of the 2018 Commonwealth Games played a major role in the decision. Queensland Tourism Minister Kate Jones showed her pride and stated that Queensland, Australia’s 6th largest city known for it’s beautiful beaches is ready to welcome and host the world leaders of sport and securing it for the Gold Coast further enhances its reputation as a world class event destination. AIMS would like to congratulate Australia and the Gold Coast and we are all looking forward to embracing all the qualities, opportunities and Australian spirit, the Gold Coast and Queensland has to offer.

15 days of competition and friendship held across Jakarta and Palembang come to a close with an impressive fireworks display, an acrobatic dance performance involving hundreds of drummers, followed by a proud parade of nations. The capacity crowd which had many high-profile personalities including IOC President Dr Thomas Bach, OCA President Sheikh Ahmad Al Sabah, among others. Indonesia’s President Widodo started a series of speeches via Video Link from the Island of Lombok, which was hit by a 6.9 earthquake. He was accompanied by a crowd of survivors, and everyone stood in solidarity with Indonesia. OCA President Sheikh Al Sabah made a heartful speech and declared the Games over and the flag was handed over to the representative of the Chinese Olympic Committee and Hang Zhou Mayor Xu Liyi. A beautiful Chinese dance was performed to seal the hand over. Asia is looking forward the next edition of the Games in Hang Zhou. The rest of the evening was filled with entertainment with many international entertainers. IOC President Dr Bach stated “Congratulations Indonesia, Congratulations Asia, a great Asian Games, a young continent united in its love of sport, showing all its unity in all its diversity.” IFMA would like to […]

African SAMBO Championships 2018 was held on 23-25 June in Hammamet, Tunisia. Over 100 athletes from 14 countries arrived to compete for medals in 3 disciplines: Sport, Combat and Beach SAMBO. This year the tournament was crossed with Olympic Day on the 22 of June. Celebrating of the Olympic Day gave an inspiration for SAMBO athletes once again to give an honour to the main Olympic values: Respect and Friendship. Three-day event started with the African SAMBO Confederation (CAS) Congress where representatives of 12 national federations – Algeria, Angola, Cameroon, the Republic of the Congo, Egypt, Ivory Coast, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Morocco, Niger and hosts Tunisia – were in attendance. African SAMBO Confederation (ASC) President Dalil Skalli has expressed his belief that it is still necessary to seek additional opportunities and impulses for further growth of the sport on the continent, despite what is considered the high rates of expansion. He believes that an efficient hands-on experience exchange between national federations could be achieved through the so-called Mediterranean SAMBO Union that could be formed between Africa, Europe and the Middle East. One other important topic on the agenda was the approval of host countries for the African Championships of 2019 […]

European SAMBO Championships 2018 was held on 17-21 May in Athens, Greece. This year Athens hosted one of the continental SAMBO tournament bringing together over 200 athletes from 29 countries: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Israel, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Macedonia, Moldova, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Spain, Turkey, Ukraine. The 2018 European SAMBO Championships bring together the continent’s leading athletes to battle it out for honours across 27 different categories. After 3 competition days as the results of the tournament 17 countries left the championship with medals. On 17 May, the Congress took a place which was attended by 11 members of the ESF Executive Committee and 29 national federation members. It considered issues regarding the report of the ESF Executive Committee for the year 2017. There was also a discussion over the ESF schedule for international competitions from 2018 to 2021, as well as changes in ESF membership. At the start of the meeting, Congress participants observed a moment of silence to commemorate the late ex-president of the SAMBO Federation of Armenia, Levon Hayrapetyan, and international referee Alexei Rybakov who died suddenly last month at the age of […]

The chairperson of the FIAS Athletes Commission attended the 1st WADA Global Athlete Forum in Calgary, along with more than 100 athlete leaders representing 54 countries from all around the world. The athlete forum was hosted by the Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) with the support of the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport. Under the theme ‘The sport we want’, the Forum saw athlete leaders and leading Anti-Doping experts discussing the current Anti-Doping system and stressing the importance of the athlete’s voice being further engaged in the decision-making process. Laure Fournier from France, represented SAMBO athletes at the Forum on behalf of FIAS. Protecting the rights of clean athletes is the WADA Athlete Committee’s highest priority. Athlete forum chair Beckie Scott from Canada, won a bronze medal in cross country skiing at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City. Her bronze medal was turned into a gold medal two years later, when the gold and silver medallists were stripped of their medals for Anti-Doping rules violations. Scott says she hopes this forum will start an athlete movement to help clean up sport: “The movement has started and the momentum is gaining,” Scott said. “We spoke a lot about unifying […]

GAISF has officially launched the .sport extension programme, offering its members the opportunity to secure their own .sport domain portfolio. As digital technology continues to evolve, International Federations (IFs) with a recognised and protected domain will ensure they are positioned as the global leader in their sport. Owning a .sport domain from GAISF helps by instantly identifying an organisation or individual as a recognised, credible and trusted member of the global sports family. Each IF will acquire a portfolio that can include a number of domains, providing information for fans in more than 30 different languages. For every domain that isn’t actively managed by a Member, GAISF creates pages which includes a visual of the IF or event and a redirection to the Member’s main website, ensuring that each IF has a vast digital landscape but that traffic to its active sites are never lost. Having an identifiable domain such as .sport gives all federations that choose to opt in to the initiative an unmistakable association to the sport ecosystem, as well as the opportunity to adopt a fresh and straightforward digital image that is easy discoverable by fans of the sport. Governing bodies, athletes, clubs, event organisers, media/publishers, as […]

The SportAccord Convention 2018 edition took a fresh direction with the incorporation of activities that included a United Through Sports Art workshop led by Valentina Jarrett. With her warm spirit, the engaging Mrs. Jarrett volunteered to teach and inspire a group of displaced children from the Tak province (Mae la, Umpiem and Nu Po camps) to create art depicting sports using recycled materials to create beautiful pieces.   Aside from being a part of the United Through Sports opening ceremony, the displaced youth participated in the Bangkok Sports Festival including; 3×3 basketball, street football and sepaktakraw. They also enjoyed other activities and workshops with Peace and Sport Olympic champion medal winner Pascal Gentil, French football legend Christian Karembeu and NBA basketball superstar Bismack Biyombo. During the unique afternoon event, the children expressed their freedom of creativity by using the logos of the 64 International Federations and the result was contemporary art illustrating sports of the participating IF’s. Assisting the afternoon events were translators from the organization Right To Play where the atmosphere was one of laughter, education about the principles of art and an exchange of ideas. The workshop came to a close over snacks and group photographs, with appreciation and thanks given […]

The International SAMBO Federation (FIAS) participated at the 7th IWG World Conference on Women and Sport from 17th to 20th May in Gaborone, Botswana. The IWG legacy presented in the frame work of local authorities and Botswana government was in three phases including a local legacy that aims to benefit the outgoing hosts immediate sport community, the Africa legacy that will ensure a functional and united Africa Women in Sport and finally a World legacy that will guide all parts of the world. The event gathers over 1300 participants from 85 countries. Several side events were held, among which European initiatives where presented and discussed. One of them was the Council of Europe’s „Preventing and combating Child Sexual abuse in sport”. The programme included plenary sessions with keynote addresses from high-level advocates of women and sport, parallel sessions with abstract presentations and cultural events. On the first day, one of the highlights of the plenary session of theme 1, „Being well to Play Well” was the keynote address of Former President of Finland, Her Excellency Tarja Halonen, who emphasised the importance of health and physical activity and that every human being must have a human right to do sport. She stressed […]

After four days of the United Through Sport and Bangkok Sport Festival came to an end, the closing conference organised by the National Olympic Committee of Thailand and AIMS. The Ballroom at the Centara was filled with personalities and keynote speaker was His Royal Highness Prince Faisal, IOC Member and President National Olympic Committee of Jordan. The conference was opened with IOC member for Thailand Khunying Patama Leewadtrakul an Executive Board Member of the National Olympic committee of Thailand who welcomed all guests on their behalf. The Deputy Minister for Tourism and Sport Mr. Ittiphol Khunpluem thanked everyone on behalf of the Royal Thai Government for making the United Though Sport Campaign an important part of the SportAccord Convention leaving a legacy behind for youth in need. Rafaelle Chiulli President of ARISF spoke on behalf of GAISF and over 100 International Federations and organisations, outlining the importance of sport and society as well as the responsibilities of every stakeholder within the Olympic family. President of FISU Oleg Matytsin congratulated each and every person who contributed to UTS and confirmed that FISU not only supports but contributed to the campaign, as we all have an obligation to work towards a better tomorrow. […]

The symbol of AIMS is a handshake of cooperation to ensure worldwide development of each member IF. The SportAccord Convention in Bangkok was the perfect platform to establish new federations before and during the convention. The Bangkok Sport Festival was a major hit and sports like Fistball and Powerlifting, took not only the opportunity to participate but at the same time set the foundation to establish new National Federations. a special meeting took place between AIMS and the Royal Thai Government to brief all interested IFs on the procedure. The meeting was opened by AIMS President, Stephan Fox, thanking the Royal Thai Government on all their initiatives then the deputy governor of the Sport Authority of Thailand went through all the criteria with the interested sports.

The streets of Bangkok came alive to the sights and sounds of sport as the inaugural SportAccord Thailand Sports Festival entertained a packed Centara World Square. It is the first time SportAccord has featured a Festival, taking the delegates onto the streets of Bangkok whilst at the same time engaging the local Thai people. The theme of the Festival was United Through Sport, and its mission is to make a tangible difference to the lives of children in displaced communities. Incorporating 58 different Olympic and non-Olympic federations, the Festival is a celebration of sport as well as culture. At the Opening Ceremony, children from all over Thailand came to perform, including those from displaced families. More than 100 children participated in the hour-long opening ceremony, and performances included songs from a displaced children’s choir, cheerleading and gymnastics squads and a traditional muay buran presentation. The driving force behind the SportAccord Thailand Sports Festival is Alliance of Internationally recognised Member Sports (AIMS) President Stephan Fox, who believes that sport can and should be used to change lives. “Ultimately, my aim is to make this world a better place,” Fox said. “To do this we must all be united in the sports movement to […]

Over 100 recognised international sports organisations and federations will make their way to Bangkok to participate in the 2018 SportAccord convention. One of the activities running simultaneously is the Sports Festival, which will be patronised by the IOC where over 50 sports will participate. AIMS President and GAISF Vice President Stephan Fox stated that one of the most important objectives is to establish new National Federations and sports in Thailand. The International Fistball Association(IFA) under the presidency of Karl Weiß is the first sport which took this opportunity, sending a female coach, Ines Mayer, to coach 2 university teams, Rangsit University and Thamassat Univerity for the next four weeks. Every day the university students have the chance to practice and play at the festival. This has been done in conjunction with the Thai University Sports Board. The president of fistball stated that this is an amazing opportunity for fistball to grow in Southeast Asia and fistball being part of the World Games is one of the most popular sports in the games. The Thai university sports board must be also applauded for the initiative. Fistball coach, Ines Mayer said that this is also an honour for her and building two […]

Alan Govinden – Needs no introduction into the world of film and entertainment. More importantly he also works tirelessly to give his support to The National Autistic Society as well as prestigious UK charities including the NSPCC and the Duke of York Community Initiative. Among the 300 guests at the AMG Charity ball was Her Royal Highness the Countess of Wessex GCVO who herself is a patron of the National Autistic Society and NSPCC. Also in attendance was GAISF (SportAccord) Vice President, Stephan Fox who is worldly renowned for using the power of sport to create a positive change, with his focus towards those most vulnerable, our youth. One of the many charities where Mr Fox gives active support towards children with autism is The Samui Special Needs Foundation in Thailand. The foundation recently received a minibus following a charity run by some Muaythai athletes who wished to give to those less fortunate than themselves. For Mr Fox, supporting this notable cause is a must. An outstanding Film producer and Philanthropist, Alan and his wife Maria have five children, their youngest Jonathan has Autism. Alan’s daughter Julia has recently joined forces with SportAbility and the Festival United Through Sport campaign […]

On the 9th February opening of the Winter Olympics 2018 the eyes of the world turned to Pyeongchang when the President of the Republic of Korea and President of IOC officially opened the events. It was an opening full of excitement and significant emotions. We witnessed the first Olympic victory made before amazing athletes from all around the world, as they entered the world of ice and snow competing for glory and pride not only for their countries, but most importantly for themselves. Victory of Olympic humanity towards peace and hope was given to the world when we saw 166 Korean athletes walking united behind the blue and white flag. This unifying flag bares more than a symbol of two countries that have been in conflict for several decades and has posed a threat for world peace. It was indeed a historical moment for so many reasons. North and South Korea together as one, athletes from two separate conflicting countries walking in side by side infact, hand in hand.We remember over the last months the escalation of words and threat such that a moment like this seemed to be impossible. But through the power of sport and the unifying five […]

GAISF Vice President and AIMS President was invited for a meeting with Thailand’s new Minister of Tourism and Sports, H.E. Mr. Weerasak Kowsurat. Thailand has been awarded the bid to host the 2018 SportAccord Convention, the world’s premier and most exclusive annual event at the service of sport where over 2000 leaders and important personnel in the world of sport come to meet. The AIMS President briefed the Minister on all the developments and that the world of sport is looking forward to visiting the Kingdom and experience the uniqueness of Thai hospitality. The AIMS President also discussed the Sport Festival and other activities and the Minister reiterated that Thailand will go above and beyond to ensure an unforgettable convention and memorable sport festival; and that the local organising committee is looking forward to welcoming the SportAccord Convention team for their upcoming 3rd site visit in Bangkok.

The world of sport is looking forward to the 2018 SportAccord Convention held at the Centara Grand & Bangkok Convention in Bangkok the capitol of the Kingdom of Thailand. Bangkok is always among the world’s top tourist destinations. The city is a true tourist paradise, proved by the growing number of travelers coming each year. Centara Grand & Bangkok Convention Centre at Central World is in the very heart of Bangkok’s shopping and business district, with easy access by road and via the BTS Skytrain. This five-star hotel, the flagship of Centara Hotels & Resorts, is therefore ideal for those shopping, sightseeing, or on business. With another 3 5-star hotels within five minutes walking distance, it is the perfect location for the next edition of the convention. There was buzz of excitement when Bangkok was announced as the next host in Aarhus and since then, 2 site visits have taken place, led by SportAccord Convention CEO Nis Hatt and the LOC led by the deputy governor of the Sport Authority of Thailand Col. Ruj. The former Sport Minister of Thailand made an emotional presentation in Lausanne during the recent IF Forum detailing the plans made for the Sport Festival as […]

On 6-8 December 2017 in Monaco at the X Peace and Sport International Forum, The Maria Guedez Foundation and the International SAMBO Federation (FIAS) won the award “In memory of Guo Chan: coup de Coeur”, thanks to their work in Venezuela, giving them more recognition on the international stage. Peace and Sport is an organisation patronised by His Serene Highness Prince Albert II of Monaco, willing to develop Peace through sports. The project was started by Maria Guedez who, upon her return to Venezuela after winning the 2015 world title, was offered a flat by the Venezuelan government. However, despite the more comfortable surroundings in her new home, she noticed that there were a lot of underprivileged children on the streets in her neighbourhood and so was determined to help. Consequently, she invited the children to come and train with her in the gym and thus the idea of the Maria Guedez Foundation was born. Then she contacted FIAS for support and they could provide a proper structure for her foundation in Venezuela. Help also came from Laure Fournier, a SAMBO representative in Peace and Sport’s Champions for Peace club and the Montpellier Sporting Club SAMBO, France. However, this foundation […]

An official signing took place with representatives of the Chinese Taipei government and National Olympic Committee to host the 2019 World Combat Games. The contract was signed by representatives of the Chinese Taipei government, Director General of Sports Administration, Ministry of Education Lin Te-Fu and Director of International and Cross-Strait Sports Division Maggie Hsu.   The GAISF Council approved the MOU which was then followed by the signing. GAISF President, Mr. Patrick Baumann counter signed together with GAISF Vice President and Chairman of the GAISF Combat Commission, Mr. Stephan Fox.   The announcement was made at the GAISF briefing in front of the 92 GAISF member federations. The combat meeting has already been scheduled.      

LAUSANNE, 8 November 2017- GAISF and International Olympic Committee (IOC) today signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), underscoring the unity of vision and purpose between the two organisations and paving the way to a continuing close and fruitful relationship, which will benefit all of sport’s stakeholders. The MoU was signed by IOC President Thomas Bach and GAISF President Patrick Baumann, ahead of the official opening of the International Federations Forum in the Olympic Capital Lausanne. The signing marks a new era in the ever-closer relationship between GAISF and the IOC, and the closure of a transition period which has seen Sportaccord re-name as GAISF, as well as the re-evaluation and redefinition of its role, aims and objectives. The relationship between GAISF and the IOC is increasingly important in a changing international sports landscape and emphasises the IOC’s continued commitment to the International Federation (IF) Family, which was highlighted in Olympic Agenda 2020. This gave IFs a greater responsibility in key areas including nomination of new sports, the Olympic Games bidding process and ensured a voice at the top table across the Olympic Movement. The MoU covers membership criteria, services to members and multi-sport games, and is designed to serve as […]

LAUSANNE. 2nd October 2017 – The Global Association of International Sports Federations (GAISF) today announced the first International Federations to achieve Observer Status. They are: World Armwrestling Federation (WAF) World Dodgeball Association (WDA) Federation for International FootGolf (FIFG) International Union of Kettlebell Lifting (IUKL) International Federation of (Match)Poker (IFP) International Pole Sports Federation (IPSF) International Table Soccer Federation (ITSF) Details on these Federations can be found here. The decision to introduce Observer Status for aspirant members was unanimously agreed by delegates at the GAISF General Assembly in Aarhus, Denmark, earlier this year. Since then the GAISF Membership Commission Chaired by Antonio Espinos along with Vice Presidents Dr Raffaele Chiulli (President of ARISF) and Stephan Fox (President of AIMS) have worked to define eligibility criteria and application procedures which were shared with aspirant Federations in Lausanne in May. Observer Status allows new, young International Federations to take advantage of the GAISF network to grow and develop. They can take part in the annual IF Forum and attend the General Assembly, but have no right to vote. The Observer status has been designed as a first step in a clear pathway towards full GAISF membership. Observers will be accompanied by GAISF in their development […]

After the successful AIMS breakfast get together in Wroclaw, Poland. AIMS President, Stephan Fox, invited the world of sport to a gathering during the Asian Indoor & Martial Arts Games 2017 in Ashgabat. AIMS President welcomed everyone on behalf of AIMS and the 21 sports but also in his capacity as the General Secretary of IFMA (Muaythai). President Fox made a heartfelt speech on using the unique power of sports to contribute to the society in many positive ways and he thanked some of the guests who have been a great contributor to sports over the years. The first appreciation was given to Mr. Wei Jizhong, the life-time honorary president of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) who have contributed his life to sports, including as a former president of International Volleyball federation. The second presentation as made to Mr. Pere Miro, IOC Deputy General Director also heading the IOC Director for NOC Relations and Olympic Solidarity, which continues to make such a positive impact in the Olympic movement. The 3rd presentation was made to the President of the International Weightlifting Federation and a member of the International Olympic Committee, who has supported sports for so many years and is […]

AIMAG 2017 started with a spectacular opening and now it is time for the athletes to shine. 3 AIMS members are part of the game, Ju-Jitsu, Kickboxing and Sambo. Ju-Jitsu was the first to start with the stadium packed to the last seats and outstanding performances by the athletes. Ju-Jitsu President, Pannagiotis Theodoropoulus, who is also AIMS Vice President, congratulated Turkmenistan and the OCA on this outstanding event and also welcomed the AIMS President, Stephan Fox, at the finals.

Nin, Croatia – The World Adventure Golf Masters (WAGM) and World Deaf Minigolf Championship (WDMC) were held on September 11 and 12, 2017 at Zaton Holiday Resort.  Both of these events are sponsored by the World Minigolf Sport Federation (WMF) and feature some of the best international competitors in their respective divisions on both the minigolf open standard (MOS) and miniaturegolf style courses.  There was a total of 104 participants from 18 countries in the WAGM and 32 players from 5 countries in the WDC. The first day of the events was delayed by heavy rains and did not start until 18:30 local time, more than 10 hours after the scheduled starting time. As a result, both tournaments were cut short to fit in the allotted time but that made for an even more exciting finish as the scores were very close across many of the divisions.  The rain also made for some interesting course conditions with damp turf, which was a marked contrast to the practice conditions the teams saw earlier in the week. Tournament Director Pasi Aho had this to say about the competitions, “We have seen two days of fantastic minigolf in partly extreme conditions. The players […]

Venezuelan sambist Lucas Borregales won again at the Pan-American SAMBO Championships in Colombia. On the first competition day, he obtained the gold medal in the weight category under 62 kg in Sport SAMBO, and the second day he achieved the same results – in Combat SAMBO. Lucas as well as many other athletes participated in WADA outreach program organized by FIAS in collaboration with World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). And how successful he was in WADA quiz, he shared with us in exclusive interview. – For the first time, I passed WADA Quiz two years ago at the World SAMBO Championships 2015 in Casablanca, Morocco. Both times my result was 9 correct answers out of 10 questions. I think it all depends on how clear some questions are. Sometimes it is possible to miss an important detail of the question and it cause the wrong answer as a result. This time the most interesting question was whether a person can take prohibited drugs if he is ill, for example, he has a flu, or he is allergic. – What do you think about the doping? – Doping is a form of cheating. It is unfair behaviour which is against the sport […]

The 2017 Universiade was officially declared open by Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing welcoming athletes from around the world. The spectacular ceremony featured 3 different cultural performances presenting the story of Chinese Taipei to the world. Stunning digital and human performances received standing ovations and then when over 4,000 athletes marched into the arena with the final team Chinese Taipei, the stadium erupted. Chinese Taipei baseball hero Chin Feng Chen hit the fireball from around 50 metres lighting up the cauldron and sending a firework into the stadium and around Taipei. FISU president Oleg Matytsin delivered a heartfelt speech addressing the youth as tomorrow’s leaders and our future. IOC president Dr. Thomas Bach made a video address to all the athletes sharing his pride back in the days when he was a proud participant in the Universiade. AIMS congratulates FISU on an outstanding opening and wishes all the participants lifelong memories at the 29th Summer Universiade !

Askim, Sweden – The Minigolf Open Youth European Championships were held from August 2 -5, 2017 on the concrete and miniaturegolf courses in Askimsbadet, Askim. In total, 66 players (48 male and 18 female) represented 12 different countries in the individual play. There were 5 full country teams in the male division and 4 teams in the female division that competed for the team title. The schedule was packed for the tournament as 8 rounds over the first two days comprised the team competition while and additional 4 rounds were played to round out the individual stroke-play competition at 12 rounds. The last day of play was for the match-play competition, which is played by the top tier players from the stroke play. The story of the tournament was the weather, as rains and bad weather interrupted play and caused from some adjustment of the round schedule. However, that didn’t seem to phase the home team during the team competition as the Swedish male and female teams struck gold and swept first place in both divisions, and followed it up with some success in the individual competitions. It was the first time in 11 years that Sweden swept in the […]

AIMS President Stephan Fox speaks to InsideTheGames on the importance of the GAISF Member Commission. President Fox  spoke on current members drawing experience from International Federations IFs) which have been recognised by the IOC in the last five years. The Commission’s first meeting was attended by 73 delegates from 48 different IFs in Lausanne last month. Mr. Fox hailed the support given by GAISF President Patrick Baumann before stressing what needs to be done to aid its members. Mr. Fox stated, “Patrick is very much behind this and he is doing an amazing job,” The Commission has been established and the first meeting was help in June, where clear missions and decisions were made, currently work is going into finalizing the criteria to see how they can help IFs reach Observer Status. The Member Commission will support IFs in confronting where the sports themselves stand in terms of development and on what else needs to be improved. Mr. Fox stated, Everyone here has the Olympic dream. But, in my opinion, it is not the destination but the journey which is important. It is about the things you improve in your sport like your ethics and anti-doping policies and so on. For the full article click here.

AIMS invited special guests for a Welcome Breakfast meeting to honour the 2017 World Games and all partner organisations within the Olympic Movement. AIMS President Stephan Fox welcomed all the guests in the relaxed atmosphere, congratulating IWGA President and IOC Member José Perurena for the success of the 2017 World Games, which has truly put the atheltes at the heart. President Fox stressed on the unique power of sport has to make a positive contribution in society and he welcomed the representatives of the atheltes there, thanking them and also showcasing the importance of respect for one another. Mr. Fox and the AIMS Council members present, handed special plaques of appreciation, starting with the former IWGA president, Ron Froelich, who has set the foundation for these games and to the current IWGA president, Mr. Perurena for his leadership. Mr. Fox thanked the IWGA team led by the CEO Joachim Gossow and General Manager, Chantal Boehi for their hard work behind the scenes, especially in the name of all the participating atheltes. Mr. Fox also presented a plaque to the IOC representative Jenny Mann, thanking Ms. Mann and the IOC for all their support and guidance and outlined again, the important cooperation between […]

The World Games 2017 opened with a spectacular star-studded Opening Ceremony. IOC President Dr. Thomas Bach was present as the 10th edition of the Games got underway and was joined on stage by International World Games Association President José Perurena and the Mayor of Wrocław, Rafał Dutkiewicz, with AIMS President, Stephan  Fox, Vice President Panagiotis Theodoropoulos, General Secretary Gerhard Zimmermann and Council Member Karl Weiss and Robert Keller also in attendance. Artists performing at the Ceremony, attended by around 40000 people organisers claimed, included Dawid Kwiatkowski, dubbed the “Polish Justin Bieber”, Radzimir Dębski, Kamil Bednarek and Steve Nash alongside the Turntable Orchestra. IOC President Dr. Bach addressed over 3,000 athletes from over 100 countries, encouraging them to “give it your best and always remember to compete in the spirit of Excellence, Respect and Fair Play”. The stadium and especially the athletes gave this a standing ovation. IWGA President Jose Perurena stated “Even if you don’t win a medal, you will have memorable experiences to look back on,” the Spaniard told them. The World Games features 3250 athletes from 111 nations across the world, who will over the next ten days compete in 31 different sports  (27 official sports and four […]

A meeting took place in Bangkok between the President Stephan Fox and Vice President Panagiotis Theodoropoulos to discuss current AIMS activities and discussions on the upcoming SportAccord Convention in Bangkok and also involvement in social responsibility projects. The meeting was also attended by JJIF Sport Director Joachim Thumfart and Maïa Amro, from the UNESCO Asia Pacific task force.

A meeting took place for sport federations that have enquired for membership into GAISF (SportAccord) and potential applicants. 48 international sport federations were invited and it was held to provide introduction and practice guidance for international federations and other sport organisations considering applying for membership or associate membership. The day was developed in cooperation with the International Olympic Committee and the GAISF Membership Commission, chaired by Antonio Espinos, President of the World Karate Federation and co-chaired by the two SportAccord Vice Presidents, Raffaele Chiulli, President of ARISF and Stephan Fox, President of AIMS. GAISF President, Patrick Baumann opened the day stating that “sport never stands still”, and that “sport continues to evolve to reflect our changing world”. GAISF currently represents 109 ISFs and other sporting bodies, of which 21 are members of AIMS. The IOC Sports Dept. was represented by Jenny Mann, who praised the cooperation between GAISF and the IOC on the entry level towards further recognition towards AIMS, and then IOC recognised ARISF and the Olympic Programme in ASOIF and AIOWF. Antonio Espinos made it clear that applicants will go through a strict process with rivalry to any existing member as the starting point. The second day featured […]

Francesco Ricci Bitti has stepped down as President of SportAccord Convention, handing over the reins to GAISF President Patrick Baumann. Ricci Bitt’s decision to step aside has now combined both jobs again, however, Mr Ricci Bitti will remain on the Executive Board of the SportAccord Convention to represent the Summer Olympic IFs (ASOIF), which he heads as President. Mr Ricci Bitti thanked the board for accepting his proposal, assuring them the support if ASOIF. Mr. Ricci Bitti continued by stating that the announcement of the convention hosted by Bangkok in 2018 and the interest of so many other potential candidates gives us great confidence for future events. Patrick Baumann is not only President of GAISF at the convention, but also the head of the coordination commission for the 2024 Summer Olympics and Paralympics. Mr Baumann stated that he would like to thank Francesco Ricci Bitti for his confidence, his great commitment and that he looked forward to the continued success of GAISF and the SportAccord Convention for the benefit of all member associations. AIMS would like to congratulate Mr Baumann and the twenty one international federations grouped together under AIMS are looking forward to a continued cooperation with ASOIF, AIOWF, […]

Who is The Best Fighter?   Fourth WAKO World Cup in the World Cups series this year has gathered the best fighters all around the world. Remembering the fantastic organization of  the editions before, this  year The Best Fighter was one of the best ever!        Among 1816 entries of the competitors from 29 countries, we saw on tatami and rings fantastic spirit of the kick boxers who competed in all seven WAKO disciplines. Italia was the most numerous team: 689 Italians in fantastic condition well prepared for the competition, and also there was 273 Russians and 107 Slovenians. This was the order of the best nations on the competition:  1. Italy, 2. Russia, 3. Slovenia.                 The concurrency was very tough, the toughest way to the gold medal was in Point fighting senior men -69 kg, where we had 21 competitors! The best and won a gold medal was White Jordan (Ireland), and silver was Veres Alex (Hungary) and bronze was Lo Prete Antonio (Switzerland). During the event, there was continued  “WAKO women against cancer” campaign, held to promote PREVENTION against breast cancer and to support the clinical researches and projects of the Italian Foundation FONDAZIONE IEO – CCM. […]

On behalf of the AIMS family, I would like to convey our deepest condolences on the passing of Hein Verbruggen. The world of sport shares in the loss of a true visionary.  Hein’s work and commitment for international sport and its development will remain a lasting legacy. We, the AIMS family will continue in the path he has laid and build upon the foundations of a great man. On behalf of AIMS, I extend my heartfelt sympathies to his family and friends during this time of deep sadness. Stephan Fox President, AIMS Special Message from the International Olympic Committee Special Message from GAISF President, Mr. Patrick Baumann

Hungarian Kickboxing World Cup 18th-21th May 2017 This year edition of Hungarian kickboxing World Cup was a total earthquake of kickboxing during three days of the competition. Fantastic venue reserved only for tatami and separate hotel hall with three rings gave a full joy for participants as well as the audience, offering them to choose which part of the competition will join in.                          The whole three days were fulfilled with the schedule knowing that there was a record of 2692 entries of 1447 participants of all ages from beginners, juniors to seniors, female and male, from 249 clubs from  38 nations from WAKO Africa, WAKO Asia, WAKO America and WAKO Europe.           WAKO President opened the Competition                Referees and judges seminar before the competition The most numerous team was Hungarian, with 719 participants from 49 kickboxing clubs. There we had Italy with 213 participants from 21 club, Ukraine with 155 participants, Bulgaria with 143 participants, Austria with 125, the United Kingdom with 117, Greece with 108, Poland with 103,  and Czech Republic, Slovenia, Slovakia, and Russian Federation with almost a 100 participants per a team. WAKO can be proud with these great numbers.           As always, the […]

The International SAMBO Federation (FIAS) participated at the 80th Congress of the International Sports Press Association (AIPS) from 10 to 12 of May 2017 in Seoul – PyeongChang, Republic of Korea.

Innsbruck, 21st-23rd April 2017                           20th Anniversary for great kickboxing tournament this year was a celebration of sport and fair play. 32 WAKO nations represented with 2176 entries in the event from 242 clubs made this Austrian Classics special again. K1, Full contact, kick light, light contact and point fighting were disciplines on the schedule. Even the host had one of the numerous team-326 athletes, the most numerous was Italian team: record of 398 athletes confirmed Italy as one of the best kickboxing nations in WAKO.            Even Iraq (2) and United States (7) had it’s representatives, what makes this tournament even more prestigious. Italy, Austria, Germany, Hungary and Czech Republic were five the best nations in the medals statistics.          In the ranking order the best teams/clubs are: Czech full contact union (Cze), Kiralyteam Kickboxing Academy (Hun) and Kickboxing zveza Slovenie (Slo). Grand Champion in Junior male division was Everill Eliah, Team Top Ten UK and Grand Champion open weight senior male again this year was Roman Brundl.                 Grand Champion junior female trophy went to Angelino Domenica, Team Barrus Italy and […]

A special celebration took place celebrating the recognition of the International Cheer Union and the International Federation Muaythai Amateur. It was a truly memorable night with over 300 sport personalities there to congratulate both sporting federations. SportAccord/GAISF President Patrick Baumann, IWGA President Jose Perurena, FISU President Oleg Matytsin, ARISF President, Raffaele Chiulli, IOC Sport Director Kit McConnell, Head of IF Stakeholder Relations Jenny Mann and many others filled the room. AIMS President, Stephan Fox stated that “AIMS is proud that two of their members have achieved IOC recognition”.  ARISF President Raffaele Chiulli welcomed the two federations into the family; and the President of ICU Mr. Webb and IFMA President Dr. Tapsuwan delivered emotional speeches. In addition to the festivities of the evening, another special moment took place, as it was the birthday of IWGA president, Mr. Perurena, FIAS President Mr. Shextakov and WKF General Secretary Toshihisa Nagura. who were celebrated with a special cake. Evenings like these showcase that though we may come from different federations, we are all united in the spirit of sport.

The 2017 WDF World Cup will be taking place in Kobe Japan October 3 to 7 2017.

The AIMS Conference has become an important and unique part of the yearly SportAccord Convention. This year, the theme was the Social Responsibility and Cooperation of Sporting Federations. The AIMS family, under the presidency of SportAccord / GAISF  Vice President Stephan Fox welcomed many keynote speakers and presenters. The Conference was opened by SportAccord / GAISF President Patrick Baumann, followed by ARISF President, Raffaele Chiulli. The keynote speakers were Founder and President of Peace and Sport and President of World Olympians Association, Joel Bouzou, President of WADA Sir Craig Reedie, Director of ThinkSport, Anna Hellman, IOC Chief Ethics and Compliance Officer, Pâquerette Zappelli, IWG for Women in Sports,  General Secretary, Game Mothibi and Chief of Youth and Sport Section, SHS UNESCO, Alexander Schischlik. The AIMS president welcomed the IOC president Dr Thomas Bach, thanking him on behalf of the 21 AIMS IFs for the IOC recognition. The IOC president, heartfully welcomed all delegates, congratulating AIMS and all members on their recognition and the cooperation towards common goals. The AIMS Council honoured the IOC president with a special token. AIMS is looking forward to the IF Forum in Lausanne in November and then Bangkok 2018 where the leaders of sport reconvene for […]

WAKO is looking forward for tomorrow’s celebration of 6th April- International Day of Sport for Development and Peace. Peace and Sport, the politically neutral organisation dedicated to promoting sport as a tool for peace, has launched its 2017 #WhiteCard campaign, inviting the world to show its commitment to global peace efforts. We celebrate 6th April because sports, as a tool for education, development and peace, can promote cooperation, solidarity, tolerance, understanding, social inclusion and health at local, national and international levels. This day comes after the UN General Assembly together with IOC declared it on August 23rd, 2013.                      WAKO officials with #WhiteCard                                      WAKO, Peace &Sport nad IOC representatives in #WhiteCard During WAKO Irish Open International Cup for Peace and Sport there was a #WhiteCard campaign launched for commitment for peace through sport.

The Denmark SportAccord Convention 2017 was hailed a great success by all delegates. The last day saw the General Assembly with important decisions on the agenda, shaping the future of SportAccord. The changes in statutes put forward by SportAccord President Patrick Baumann will have a significant beneficial impact. The General Assembly unanimously approved the name change from SportAccord back to the old acronym of GAISF, but now standing for Global Association of International Sport Federations, the organization was founded as GAISF, 50 years ago. It will give a clearer, more logical and focused identity and it will also distinguish it from SportAccord Convention and any other future commercial activities, services and games organized under SportAccord. Along with the name change, was approved the Observer Status for international federations that want to join SportAccord/ GAISF; and the Rotating Presidency starting 2020, in combination with a two year term limit. This means it will now alternate between the Olympic and non-Olympic umbrella federations. The new slogan is “ One Voice For All Sport” and what has been achieved is the direction of the organization for many years to come. You could feel the unity throughout the entire Convention and the respect for […]

Frankfurt, Germany – The World Minigolf Sport Federation (WMF) Executive Board met over three days from March 24-26, 2017. Over 20 different topics were discussed during this meeting, including competition plans, relationships with the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Alliance of Independent Recognized Members of Sport  (AIMS), and SportAccord, finances of the WMF, and reports of the Continental Federations and other participating parties. The Executive Committee consists of members from 8 different countries (Germany, The Netherlands, Finland, Portugal, Kenya, United States, China and New Zealand), spread over all 5 continents (Africa, America, Asia, Europe and Oceania). Dr. Gerhard Zimmermann, WMF President, expressed his compliments to the members of the Executive Committee for their important work during the last period and informed in detail about the development regarding the IOC recognition process, the position of WMF within AIMS and the participation in the upcoming SportAccord Convention in Aarhus (Denmark). A large part of the meeting was spent talking about the future strategy of WMF, an update of the media and marketing plans, the value of the input of the WMF Special Committees, the activities to be part of Multisport Events and the start of a worldwide Grand Prix tour. A permanent seat […]

Singapore Sepaktakraw National Team preparation  for South East Asian Games in Kuala  Lumpur, Malaysia from 19 to 31 August, 2017

SIGN FOR THE FUTURE WAKO became a partner of one more International organization which deals with Women in sport issue. International Working Group on Women and Sport  IWG is International organization dealing with gender equality and women presence in sport in all levels, forcing initiatives to promote physical activity, offering men and women equal opportunities in the sport arena and enlisting men as allies in the fight for gender equality. On 4th March 2017 during Irish Open International for Peace and Sport WAKO Cup, it was organized  the ceremony of signing the agreement between two parties, which means that WAKO has signed and adopted  Brighton Plus Helsinki 2014 Declaration on Women and Sport.            Mrs. Kristina Thuree, IWG European representative and Mr. Borislav Pelevic, WAKO President with WAKO Women Committee members Declaration was signed by Mrs. Kristina Thuree, IWG European representative and by WAKO President, Mr. Borislav Pelevic, witnessed by WAKO Women Committee chairman Mrs. Kate Kociszewska and WAKO Women Committee member Mrs. Marijana Pelevic. The presence of Mrs. Kristina Thuree on the WAKO Cup was the great occasion to introduce our sport kickboxing and to arrange a meeting with WAKO Women Committee, where important issues of implementing principles of […]

47-year-old Golfer and member of the Achimota Golf Club, Alain Vignard, last Sunday beat competition from 24 strong contenders to emerge the overall winner of the maiden edition of the Ghana Minigolf League, which took place at the Marvels Sports Club at Dzorwulu, Accra. The Golfer scored 44-points in the final round of the eighteen-hole competition to become the winner. Mr. Vignard, who was presented with a championship trophy, will, as part of the prize package, also receive a fully paid trip to represent Ghana at the World Minigolf series, to be held in Croatia this year. Following in the second position was businessman Ibrahim Usmaba, while Augustine Hohoayi also earned the Lowest Score of 40 for the Singles. They both received trophies, along with the doubles competition winners and runner up. The well-attended event, which blazed with lots of fun and excitement, was also graced by two high profile personalities – Mr. Pasi Aho, Sport Director, World Minigolf Sports Federation, and Mr. Wycliffe Ngoya, President, Africa Minigolf Sport Federation/Kenya Minigolf Federation. “I am particularly highly impressed that Ghana, with a rather teething Minigolf sport industry, has braced the odds to achieve this historic feat, by being the first country […]

Adam Kelly, from Great Britain, has won Ireland’s very first Irish Minigolf Open which was held at Rainforest Adventure Golf. Adam registered a score of 219 over 8 rounds, leaving his final score 69-under par. Kelly cashes in with a cheque for €1500. The Irish National Minigolf Champion was also up for grabs for Irish participants in the competition. Jamie Campbell claimed the title of Irish National Champion after registering a score of 262 over 8 rounds, leaving his final score 26-under par. Jamie cashes in with a prize of €350. 36 players took part in the competition, 18 of them Irish and 18 from across Europe. The event, backed by the World Minigolf Federation and the British Minigolf Association, generated interest from across Europe, with players from The U.K., Austria, Czech Republic and Sweden taking part in the competition. Rainforest Adventure Golf is now the home of a new World Record, as Pauli Kuikka from Sweden registered a score of 23 on the “Aztec” course during his 2nd round on the first day of the competition. Detailed results from the competition can be viewed here: http://bmga.co.uk/2017IO/result.htm#c For more information, log onto www.rainforestadventuregolf.ie Facebook          – www.facebook.com/RainforestAdventureGolf Twitter               – @RainforestGolf Notes: This is an […]

WAKO DELEGATION IN POLAND WAKO President Mr. Borislav Pelevic, WAKO Board member Mrs. Kate Kocsiewska and President of  Polish Kickboxing Association Mr.Andrzej Palasz, visited Polish Olympic Committee. On the meeting with Mrs. Irena Szewińska, who is IOC member and Vice President of Polish Olympic Committee, five times Olympic Champion in athletics (running), WAKO President introduced her about IOC application which WAKO applied to the IOC in August 2016. Mrs. Szewinska was very interested in the position of WAKO in International sport and was very thrilled about the number of WAKO members, and a number of WAKO international competitions. Mrs.Irena Szewińska first time competed in the Olympic Games 1964 in Tokyo, as an 18-year-old . Participated in five editions of the Games of the Olympiad: 1964, 1968, 1972, 1976, 1980. She is 10-times world record holder in 100m, 200m, 400m; 10 medals (5 gold, 1 silver, 4 bronze) in European Championships, 26-times Polish champion (100m, 200m, 400m, long jump); Athlete of the Year in Poland (1965, 1966, 1974, 1976); Athlete of the XX Century in Poland. There is no doubt that great and valuable experience  of Mrs. Irena Szewinska was a  precious help for WAKO  delegates to be introduced about various […]

A joint meeting took place at the SportAccord head office in Lausanne, invited by SportAccord President and IOC Member Patrick Baumann and attended by IOC Member Nenad Lalovic President of United World Wrestling, ARISF President Rafaelle Chiulli, AIMS Council Member Michal Buchel, AIMS President Stephan Fox and TAFISA Secretary General Wolfgang Baumann. The meeting was held for the purpose of discussions between SportAccord recognised martial art and combat sports and TAFISA in regards to the organisation of martial arts games by TAFISA which permitted the participation of non-recognised combat and martial arts federations. The issue being that some of these federations were neither members of SportAccord nor were they WADA signatories or WADA compliant. This matter has also been acknowledged by the IOC. The meeting was highly productive where the TAFISA General Secretary Mr. Baumann, reported that TAFISA has already decided not to further engage in the organization of combat and martial art games due to the uniqueness of combat sports and martial arts in general and to concentrate in Sport For all and Cultural Exchange. This can only be good news. Discussions also took place for the closer cooperation of TAFISA with SportAccord.