Sporting for All – Bringing sports to everyone

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 […]

AIMS Members Getting Ready for the 2020 UTS World Virtual Youth Festival                                             AIMS is a proud IOC and GAISF recognized umbrella organization. The exchange of sport, culture, education and the promotion of sport as a human right practicing non-discrimination and inclusion are some of the many key priorities for the AIMS family. AIMS is the founding organization of United Through Sports, established in 2017 to share and create alliances towards the betterment of youth regardless of their abilities or social background. 2018, the first UTS powered sport festival took place at SportAccord and today AIMS is in full support and working in solidarity during these challenging times to give life to the United Through Sports World Virtual Youth Festival. AIMS President, Stephan Fox, who is also the UTS President stated in the recent Press Release, “We must continue to create opportunities, putting the youth of the world at center stage.” He further stated, “For many wonderful youth, once the pandemic ends they will continue to live in lockdown and challenging environments.” Dr. Gerhard Zimmermann, Secretary General of AIMS […]

AIMS to host its first ever Virtual General Assembly   The pandemic has affected each and everyone including the world of sports. Health and safety are a priority on and off the field of play. This is why the AIMS council has decided to hold the upcoming AIMS general assembly on November 9th in a virtual format for the first time ever. The AIMS Council met virtually and made this important decision to move from the original planned hybrid event. The Council wants to ensure that each and every AIMS member has access to the assembly which is held only 10 days before the first ever United Through Sports Virtual World Youth Festival. 

In our anniversary episode #10 we are welcoming a special guest: our dear friend Stephan Fox, President of United Through Sports and AIMS, former World Champions of Muaythai and Secretary General of the International Federation of Muaythai Associations (IFMA). “Fistball Inside” is the podcast magazine of the International Fistball Association. IFA President Joern Verleger and Secretary Chris Oberlehner analyze every week the latest news from the world of Fistball. The first edition of the podcast was recorded end of July 2020. All editions are also available on Spotify. We are looking for your feedback to podcast@ifa-fistball.com.

    “Cooperation is always more powerful than competition, and in union there is strength.”– UTS President Stephan Fox As we mark the 50-day countdown to the UTS World Virtual Youth Festival 2020, youth around the world are now being activated and invited to participate in the festival competitions. Over 60 international sport affiliated organisations have joined towards celebrating the youth and giving them opportunities regardless to their abilities. Real change occurs with the unity of many sharing in a united vision and mission. This festival has brought together strong partnerships who have granted their patronage to this unique youth centred event. The International Olympic Committee (IOC), the International Paralympic Committee (IPC), the Special Olympics (SOI), SportAccord and GAISF have joined forces with UTS towards the united call to action for greater inclusion not only towards international sporting events, but towards greater social inclusion. We all live in difficult circumstances including the world of sport, which faces unique challenges being unable to host sport events. IOC President, Thomas Bach said: “The Corona virus has proven that sport and active lifestyle can save lives.” The IOC has been working since the beginning of this global pandemic to demonstrate how more than ever physical exercise […]

In light of the complexities of international travel and in-person gatherings due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the forthcoming GAISF General Assembly on 10 November 2020 will be held in a virtual format for the first time ever. The General Assembly had originally been planned in a hybrid form. Due to the evolving situation of the COVID-19 pandemic, however, GAISF President Raffaele Chiulli and the GAISF Council have decided hosting the General Assembly online would be the best way for the organisation to meet its duty of ensuring the meeting is equally accessible to all members. During the General Assembly, GAISF will also announce the winners of this year’s GAISF Sustainability Award, shining a spotlight on an array of outstanding sustainability projects within the global sports community. The General Assembly will consider applications by the Association of Paralympic Sports Organisations and the World Transplant Games Federation to become Associate Members. The International Federation of Teqball’s application for full membership will also be considered.

“Do something today for a better tomorrow” – Oscar Wilde. Over 60 organisations have come together in solidarity and unity under the Olympic, Paralympic and Special Olympics values. Together these organisations will promote inclusion, health, equality, non-discrimination and peace. The festival includes youth of all abilities where the doors are open for youth from migrant and refugee backgrounds, youth from international federations and those with different physical and mental abilities. The participating organisations share a common vision, to provide opportunity by working with and for the youth, giving them autonomy and hope. Leaders of sport from IOC President Thomas Bach, IPC President Andrew Parsons, Special Olympics CEO Mary Davis and former 8th UN General Secretary Ban Ki Moon amongst so many visionary leaders, have pledged their support towards this unique first ever world youth festival. The festival will see the youth competing in different fun challenges, where no passports or visas are needed on this virtual platform where the hub is Bangkok, Thailand. Those who stand on the podium, will be a part of the virtual medal ceremonies. The world will come together for a celebratory party, to celebrate the youth and where the world leaders will welcome them all. Performances […]

  United Through Sports (UTS) organisers launch the official logo for the first edition of the UTS Virtual Youth Festival 2020 United Through Sports (UTS) organisers launch the official logo for the first edition of the UTS Virtual Youth Festival 2020. The logo stands to represent unity in diversity through the inclusion of all youth regardless of ability. The design uses a vibrant, bold and youthful colour palette appealing to the younger generations signifying fun and positivity. The festival logo is built upon the foundations of the UTS official logo and adapted towards the novel virtual festival concept. The centre of the logo symbolises the digital world with four different youth encircling the globe. They are connected across the world sharing the same experience, the same event at the same time. The font was chosen to give an urban, brushstroke and down-to-earth approach to demonstrate the feeling of movement and creativity. This festival encourages youth to showcase their unique talents and creativity, offering them a chance to shine bright during a difficult time. Over 60 organizations and federations have joined to participate and/or contribute towards this unique event which has been patronized by the International Olympic Committee, the International Paralympic […]

Following the initiative of Pierre de Coubertin, who wanted to combine “muscles and mind” at the Games, seven editions, from 1912 to 1948, included Olympic events in painting, sculpture, literature, music and architecture. After these were dropped, the cultural programmes created for the Games successfully continued the vision of the man who revived the Games. In an article entitled “the Roman Olympiad”, published on the front page of Le Figaro on 5 August 1904, 10 years after the revival of the Games, Pierre de Coubertin announced: “The time has come to enter a new phase, and to restore the Olympiads to their original beauty. At the time of Olympia’s splendour, and even later when Nero, the conqueror of Greece, made it his ambition to gather the ever-desired laurels along the banks of the Alphaeus, the arts and literature joined with sport to ensure the greatness of the Olympic Games. The same must be true in the future.” The reason for the title of these two newspaper columns was the recent choice by the IOC members of the Italian capital as host of the Olympic Games in 1908. Thus, Coubertin continued, it is now “possible and desirable to unite in the future celebrations, as […]

Today marks the one-year anniversary of the inaugural World Urban Games 2019, an event that blended competitive urban sport and a festival of youth music, art and culture in the heart of Budapest, Hungary. The ultimate celebration of new-generation sports forged by the spirit of youth, the Games welcomed over 50,000 spectators to the Urban Games Park to witness some of the best urban athletes in the world showcase their skill, style and power. From Misaki Katayama of Japan making history by taking home the first gold medal of the World Urban Games in World Skate’s roller freestyle competition, to the USA showcasing their prowess in flying disc, the atmosphere was phenomenal throughout all three days of competition. Meanwhile, sports like the International Basketball Federation’s (FIBA) 3×3 basketball and International Gymnastics Federation’s (FIG) parkour charmed crowds with their-fast paced and exhilarating action. “The inaugural edition of the World Urban Games was an incredible celebration of urban sports, creativity and culture. We set out to not only showcase urban sport, but to inspire a more active society. I believe we achieved this and much more. Of course, I must also thank the Budapest Local Organising Committee for its tireless efforts in […]

A very special event took place in Bangkok organised by the national reform committee on Culture, Sports labour and Human resources. It was attended by many important speakers, chaired by Prof Dr Nithi Mahanon and certainly IOC member and executive board member of the national committee of Thailand KHUNYING Patama Leesawadtrakul. Khunying Patama made a detailed presentation on sport and active society and to promote sport for all from the grassroots to elite level in all provinces of Thailand. This is very much in line with AIMS’s vision on promoting inclusion, non-discrimination in sport. AIMS was represented by President Stephan Fox at this important gathering.

In early 2018, the International Rope Skipping Federation and World Jump Rope Federation merged to form a new united organisation, the International Jump Rope Union (IJRU). Supported and overseen by GAISF, the successful merger was championed by athletes, officials and stakeholders around the world. Following the merger, IJRU was successfully granted GAISF Observer Status at SportAccord 2018 in Bangkok, Thailand. With the help and guidance of GAISF, the Alliance of Independent recognised Members of Sport (AIMS) and other International Sports Federations (IFs), IJRU boasts 60 member countries worldwide and its growth continues to accelerate. By following its mission statement and core values of diversity, inclusion, excellence and innovation, IJRU aims to develop the sport of jump rope and rope skipping globally and to become, possibly soon, part of the GAISF family. Commenting on IJRU’s global ambitions and achieving GAISF Observer Status, IJRU President Shaun Hamilton said: “GAISF Observer Status has enabled us to connect with other International Federations. The support and guidance from GAISF has not only helped us develop as an organisation, it has allowed us to improve our governance and provide our members with the resources they need to succeed. We are very grateful for GAISF’s support in […]

Global digital platform surpasses 3.3 billion video views across all platforms From providing content surrounding the Winter Youth Olympic Games (YOG) Lausanne 2020 and creating localised coverage ahead of the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 to launching worldwide digital campaigns that engage fans at home during the COVID-19 pandemic, the fourth year of operation proved to be ground-breaking for the International Olympic Committee’s Olympic Channel. In the four years since its launch on 21 August 2016, the Olympic Channel global media destination has produced more than 25,000 pieces of video content representing all Olympic sports disciplines and 206 countries, including 76 original series and films, resulting in more than 3.3 billion video views across all platforms. Average watch time on the platform is 8:05 minutes per video watched. Continuing its upward viewership trend, the global digital platform keeps users coming back, with a 65% increase over the previous 12 months in monthly returning users (MRUs), one of the key metrics for the long-term success of the Olympic Channel. On social media, the Olympic Channel community has grown to more than 10.4 million, with 74.9% of those engaging with content on social media under the age of 35. Key to the Olympic Channel’s […]

    UTS LAUNCHES THE VIRTUAL YOUTH FESTIVAL 2020  

  GAISF and SportAccord President Raffaele Chiulli marked the United Nations (UN) International Youth Day by calling on the global sports community to continue to empower and engage the world’s 1.2 billion youth aged 15-24. Observed globally, International Youth Day provides an opportunity to celebrate and recognise young people’s voices, actions and initiatives, as well as their meaningful, universal and equitable engagement. This year’s theme is “Youth Engagement for Global Action”, which is why, now more than ever, International Youth Day is vitally important. In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, the international sports community has an even greater responsibility to engage with young people to help enrich and develop the lifestyles of millions of people for present and future generations to come. With the number of young people in the world projected to grow to 1.3 billion by 2030, the target year for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), concerted global action, and meaningful engagement and participation of young people must be addressed effectively. In order to strengthen capacity and achieve global action, the sports community must not only continue to engage at a local, national and global level, but ensure representation is at the heart of decision making. Raffaele […]

Our statement for the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples 2020 On 9 August we recognise and celebrate the indigenous peoples of the world. We salute the decision of the United Nations to focus on COVID-19 and resilience at this critical juncture for the health and well-being of indigenous peoples. It is also a transcendent opportunity to share the practices and cultures of indigenous peoples which have the potential to strengthen the resilience of the entire world. Club de Madrid President, Danilo Türk, and Vice President, Laura Chinchilla sign a statement on occasion of the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples 2020 on the need to take their rich perspectives and traditions into account. Read our statement Connect with us!  ‌  ‌  ‌  ‌  ‌  

To mark this year’s International Day of Friendship, International Sports Federations (IFs) took to social media to demonstrate the inherent link between friendship and teamwork, whilst encouraging fans to demonstrate how important friendship is to them. The United Nations (UN) International Day of Friendship aims to emphasise the importance of friendship between peoples, countries, cultures and individuals in building bridges between communities and inspiring peace efforts. Of course, friendship is naturally an important part of sport and one of the three core values of Olympism. From a young age, playing sport is a way to foster lifelong friendships in a fun but competitive environment. While at elite level, friendship is often a key characteristic of a successful team. The International Netball Federation (INF), for example, launched an online competition to give two best friends the chance to win matching netball dresses. All fans had to do was tag a friend and comment their favourite thing about them to enter. This competition was a great initiative, encouraging social media engagement while spreading positive messages of friendship. Several other IFs also engaged their global fanbases via social media. The International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) encouraged volleyball and beach volleyball fans to tag their […]

The weekend of 30th and 31st May 2020 was a monumental occasion that saw IFMP conduct its flagship event in a virtual manner, responding to the global pandemic we all currently find ourselves in. 12 nations geared up for this world championship event, in a unique format since everyone was playing from the safety and comfort of their own homes. Following on from the European and Asian continental championships last year in Kyiv and Taipei respectively, we saw our 12 participants emerge. Current Nations Cup holders Ukraine, European Nations Cup winners Spain, Asian Nations Cup winners India were all joined by Germany, Ireland, Belarus, Poland, Lithuania, Australia, Singapore, Taiwan and Korea. While trying to replicate the live format as much as possible, and adding a social element, IFMP partnered with Cisco to use their Webex video conferencing platform for the Nations Cup. Every player was online on Webex, connected to each of their table opponents, while simultaneously playing Match Poker on their smartphone, tablet or PC. Each team was provided with their own private meeting room where they could conduct their team meetings and discuss strategy between sessions. PokerNews came onboard as the official media partner of the event, providing […]

AIMS will continue to support the International Table Soccer Federation, ITSF on its journey towards development and growth. TABLE SOCCER TARGETS DIGITAL CONNECTIVITY FOR FUTURE GROWTH Played in almost every country around the world, table soccer, table football or foosball, has continued to grow since its introduction in 1921. The sport, overseen by the International Table Soccer Federation (ITSF), has grown to 67 national members. However, each country, and even sometimes each city, has its own rules or style of play. Since its formation in 2002, as well as promoting the development of table soccer throughout the world, and uniting players globally, it has been the mission of the ITSF to bring some degree of uniformity to table soccer without altering the local practices. The recognition and preservation of those traditional or emerging styles of play is an ongoing project and remains a major focus for the ITSF. “The extension of our GAISF Observer Status is critical to improving international collaboration”, said Farid Lounas, President of the ITSF. “GAISF Observer Status provides the opportunity for the ITSF to connect, share and learn from other International Federations working towards the same goal of Olympic recognition. It also helps individual federations gain […]

GAISF PRESIDENT RAFFAELE CHIULLI: SPORT HAS SHOWN REMARKABLE RESILIENCE GAISF and SportAccord President Raffaele Chiulli addressed a letter to its Members, praising the remarkable resilience and solidarity that sport has shown during these challenging times. “We can be proud of the remarkable resilience sport has shown and continues to show in an extremely testing period for everyone,” President Chiulli said. “At GAISF, we are extremely proud to see so many of our Members demonstrating great imagination when creating innovative projects and digital campaigns involving athletes. The social, physical and mental health benefits of these online campaigns are of great value. For the fans, it is your campaigns that continue to provide an emotional connection, a sense of community and a form of escapism. “It is encouraging to see that our community is united behind the common goal of utilising the power of sport as a symbol of positivity, hope and progress.” President Chiulli also referred to the International Federation (IF) Forum 2020 which is scheduled to take place in Lausanne, Switzerland on Wednesday 4 and Thursday 5 November 2020. This is a key annual event for GAISF’s Members and President Chiulli underlined the importance of flexibility in light of the […]

The AIMS family congratulates Teqball on all their development and we are looking forward to a continued cooperation. GAISF AND SPORTACCORD PRESIDENT ATTENDS FITEQ CEREMONY IN ROME GAISF and SportAccord President Raffaele Chiulli  attended a ceremony to mark the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Hungary and International Federation of Teqball (FITEQ),  GAISF Observer, partnering with four major Italian sports entities to grow and develop the sport globally. FITEQ donated Teq tables to the Italian Olympic Committee (CONI), world-renowned football club, AS Roma, and the prestigious Sapienza University of Rome, to help promote active and healthy lifestyles across Italy. President Chiulli, an advocate for the importance of staying active through sport,  also donated a Teq table to IIISSS (Istituto Internazionale Italiano Studi Sport Società). President Chiulli said: “As with all of GAISF’s members and observers, it is my pleasure to attend such events to support the development of sport worldwide. This event was the first of its kind since COVID-19, and it was fantastic to be able to come together in celebration of sport. “It is easy to see the true passion FITEQ has for the sport of teqball, and I am sure that their new partnerships will help […]