The International Olympic Committee (IOC) suspended its recognition of SportAccord on Sunday, saying it is ready to discuss restructured representation with the organisation’s stakeholders. 

The IOC had recognised and worked with SportAccord, the “umbrella group” for Olympic and non-Olympic sports federations, for many years. 

Relationships between the two organisations have deteriorated since SportAccord president Marius’ Vizer’s criticism of IOC president Thomas Bach’s Agenda 2020 programme of reform at SportAccord Convention in April. 

Many international federations (IFs) of Olympic and non-Olympic sports have since left SportAccord. 

Despite Vizer’s resignation last week, the IOC has withdrawn its recognition of SportAccord. 

“The IOC will continue its ongoing and direct relationship with the IFs and other members of the Olympic Movement,” the IOC said in a statement issued during an executive board meeting in Lausanne.

“We encourage and support them in all the initiatives being taken to restructure their representation following the serious internal problems of SportAccord.”

“We have been in contact with many of the IFs and their representative bodies in the last days and we have been advised that they want to take some measures in this respect.

“We would like to invite the representatives of different groups to further discuss this issue and to come to an agreement among all stakeholders.

“We will first wait for their deliberations and consultations to conclude, and we are ready to support them and ready to invite the representatives of the different groups, including the Association of Summer Olympic International Federations (ASOIF) and the Association of International Olympic Winter Sports Federations (AIOWF), the Association of Recognised International Sports Federations (ARISF),  the Alliance of Independent Members of Sport Accord (AIMS) and the International World Games Association (IWGA), to discuss the restructuring of their agreement for a common approach.”

SportAccord has historically provided support to IFs to ensure the integrity of their sports – a role that the IOC will take up directly during SportAccord’s current circumstances.

“In the meantime, we do not want the clean athletes to suffer in any way from this vacuum. We are offering the IFs concerned all the services and advice in the fight against doping which have been offered so far by SportAccord and financed by the IOC and WADA. 

“We will be making the same offer with regard to good governance as well as on match-fixing and related corruption, and the IOC is ready to provide this support directly. We must ensure that there is not a vacuum during this ongoing process.  

“Like many members of SportAccord, we are suspending our recognition and we will withhold our funding until these questions are answered and an agreement between the stakeholders has been reached.

“We are awaiting the outcome of the consultations and, when the time is right, we would like to invite these stakeholders here to discuss how services can best be provided in the future to the above-mentioned organisations.”

Climbing, surfing and roller sports are among eight sports left in contention to feature in the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. 

The Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee has shortlisted the following IOC-recognised International Federations (IFs) proposing events to be considered for inclusion in the Games: World Baseball Softball Confederation; World Bowling; World Karate Federation; International Roller Sports Federation; International Federation of Sport Climbing; World Squash Federation; International Surfing Association; and the International Wushu Federation.

The organising committee will propose one or more of events proposed by these eight federations. The primary selection criteria are that the additional events must “serve as a driving force to promote the Olympic Movement and its values, with a focus on youth appeal” and “add value to the Games by engaging the Japanese population and new audiences worldwide, reflecting the Tokyo 2020 Games vision.”

The following sports are no longer in contention: air sports; American football; billiards; bowls; bridge; chess; dancesport; floorball; flying disc; korfball; netball; orienteering; polo; racquetball; sumo; tug war; underwater sports; waterski and wakeboard.

In the next phase of the process, the shortlisted federations are invited to submit further details by 22 July 2015. The organising committee will interview the federations in Tokyo on 7-8 August 2015 before make a decision on which event(s) to propose to the IOC in September 2015. 

Since the IOC’s approval of Olympic Agenda 2020 last December, hosts of the Games are able to propose one or more events to add to the IOC’s sports programme.

The final decision will be made at the 129th IOC Session in Rio in August 2016.

The organising committee of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games revealed on Friday that 26 international federations (IFs) are bidding for inclusion, with sports ranging from American football, baseball and karate to surfing, bridge and flying disc. 

Tokyo 2020 said the additional events must “serve as a driving force to promote the Olympic Movement and its values, with a focus on youth appeal,” and “add value to the Games by engaging the Japanese population and new audiences worldwide, reflecting the Tokyo 2020 Games vision.”

Since the IOC’s approval of Olympic Agenda 2020 last December, hosts of the Games are able to propose one or more additional events to add to the sports programme – much like the process employed by the Commonwealth Games Federation.

Applications for the additional events opened on 8th of May with a deadline of 8th June. The long list of 26 applicants was revealed after an Executive Board meeting on Tuesday 12th June.

The applicant IFs represent the following sports: air sports; American football; baseball softball; billiards; bowls; bowling; bridge; chess; dancesport; floorball; flying disc; karate; korfball; netball; orienteering; polo; racquetball; roller sports; climbing; squash; sumo; surfing; tug war; underwater sports; waterski and wakeboard; and wushu.

The applications will now be reviewed by the seven Japanese members of Tokyo 2020’s “Additional Event Programme Panel” and a shortlist will be announced on 22 June 2015.

The shortlisted will then submit further details and make a presentation to the Additional Event Programme Panel, who will then propose its recommendations to the Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee, which will decide on the events to be proposed to the IOC. 

The final decision will be made the IOC at its 129th Session in Rio in August 2016.

The International Triathlon Union [ITU], the sports federation that governs the Olympic sport of Triathlon, has hired Vero Communications to develop an international communications strategy, liaise with international sports media and promote the federation. 

Vero will also help boost the ITU’s profile on social media platforms and work on a digital media strategy to increase public engagement worldwide.

“Since Triathlon joined the Olympic Programme at Sydney 2000, the sport has grown in popularity around the world,” said Marisol Casado, ITU President and IOC Member for Spain. “ITU is immensely proud of Triathlon’s Olympic and Paralympic status and we look forward to continuing the sport’s development internationally and engaging new participants and fans.

“With Vero’s proven expertise in international sport, combined with the work of the ITU team, we know we have a very strong group to help us grow our communications and engagement over the coming years.”

Vero, based in London and led by chairman Mike Lee OBE, works with a number of international sports federations as well as cities bidding for mega-events, including Rio 2016, PyeongChang 2018 and Qatar 2022.

“The federation has a real ambition to harness the appeal of Triathlon in existing markets and spread the message of the sport to new parts of the world,” said Lee. “ITU has a very positive story to tell and our role will be to help ensure that this story is communicated effectively to international sporting stakeholders, media and fans.”

[Source: IFAF] The International Federation of American Football (IFAF) and International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), formalising a partnership under which the two International Federations (IFs) will collaborate with the primary aim of optimising costs and environmental impacts associated with key areas of governance.

The wide-ranging agreement, which is thought to be a first of its kind between IFs, reflects a shared commitment to progressive sports governance in line with the priorities of the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC’s) Agenda 2020 + 5.

Cooperation in the framework of the MoU is already under way, with the two organisations agreeing to co-finance the attendance of legal delegates to the IOC Medical Conference and Prevention of Competition Manipulation Workshop in 2025.

These areas – medical, safeguarding and integrity – represent a core focus for collaboration under the agreement, which is structured around three pillars:

• Shared Resources, exploring opportunities for co-funding and mutualisation;
• Knowledge transfer, via regular exchange of experience and best practices; and
• Cross-promotion initiatives, seeking to enhance the visibility of both sports and their respective athletes in the build-up to the Olympic Games LA28.

The two International Federations are respectively among the youngest and most established in the Olympic movement, presenting considerable value in exchange.

IFAF achieved full IOC recognition in 2023 and was awarded associate membership of the Association of Summer Olympic International Federations (ASOIF) at the organisation’s General Assembly in 2024, following the inclusion of flag football on the sports programme of the Olympic Games LA28. The fast-growing, high-speed version of America’s favourite sport is set to be among the most high-profile attractions at the Games in Los Angeles, where it will enjoy a prime downtown venue and with leading NFL stars recently cleared to compete.

Shooting sport featured on the programme of the first modern Olympic Games and has been governed internationally by ISSF since its establishment in 1907. The ISSF has ambitious plans to further build on the sport’s popularity in north America, leveraging two competition venues at LA Clays and the Long Beach Convention Center that puts the sport at the centre of the Games plan.

Pierre Trochet, President of IFAF, said: “We are pleased to strengthen our cooperation with the ISSF – a federation that shares our commitment to exemplary and progressive governance, and is open to innovative approaches to optimising costs and impacts.

“Pioneering new, smart models of collaboration is a cornerstone of IFAF’s growth strategy, as we have demonstrated through our transformative partnerships with professional leagues. With this MoU, we are extending the same approach to institutional governance, allowing us to drive mutual benefits and efficiencies, and for IFAF – as a young and ambitious federation, determined to implement best practices – to benefit from the wealth of experience held by our established peers.”

ISSF President, Luciano Rossi, said: “As one of the founder members of the modern Olympic Games in 1896, it is a pleasure to join forces with IFAF, who after many years of dedicated effort has become one of the newest members of the Olympic family. We are looking forward to working together in areas of mutual interest and I am confident that through creative collaboration we can become more efficient individually but also contribute new ideas in support of the Olympic movement.”

"We are in a period of transition in the Olympic Movement," ASOIF President Ingmar de Vos said in his speech welcoming IOC President-Elect Kirsty Coventry and paying tribute to IOC President Thomas Bach, at the ASOIF General Assembly.
Also addressing President-Elect Kirsty Coventry, World Athletics President Lord Coe said: "There is a huge opportunity with the new leadership to create the reset around the relationship between the IOC and the IFs, and particularly the review of the revenue generation model. 
"We all want the pinnacle of Olympic sport being the pinnacle of the four year summer sporting cycle and we look forward to working with you. You will have the support all the IFs; we stand ready to support you. 
IOC President-Elect Kirsty Coventry said: "We would all love to say we hope the next few years are going to be smooth but I'm not sure that's quite going to be the case."
Listing the challenges ahead, she referred to "all the geopolitics we are going to need to navigate, the more and more conflicts that our world is facing, revenue models."
"We won't always agree. We hope we can be respectful enough to disagree... but that's what a family is about. It's how we are going to come together to make sure we have the best Olympic Games and the best platform for generations to come."

Bravely challenge models

With reference to recent "tough discussions" with ASOIF about "event delivery", she said "International federations need to play a greater role."
"It's important to take some time to engage with all of you to fully understand not just want your expectations are, but how we are going to deliver extraordinary Games in LA and Brisbane, and into the future. 
"We have to be brave enough to challenge some of the models that we've been doing.
"It's very clear there are two priorities, two pillars: the Olympic Games, and ensuring the Olympic Games is the biggest success for our athletes; and the second one is then building a better world through sport. The first one has to be extremely successful in order to have the second one. 
"So we really need to focus on how we are going to ensure together we are going to have incredible Games that will inspire generations and more people across the world."

The Belgian, Ingmar De Vos, Council member of the Association of Summer Olympic International Federations (ASOIF), member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and President of the International Equestrian Federation (FEI), will stand for election as the next ASOIF President at the 48th General Assembly on 9 April in Birmingham, United Kingdom. The third term of incumbent President Francesco Ricci Bitti will come to an end on 31 December 2024.

The President is elected by secret ballot for a term of four years in the year of the Summer Olympic Games and takes up the position on 1 January of the following year.

The nomination of Mr De Vos was the sole candidature received by the official deadline of 25 March. In line with the ASOIF Statutes, Full Members may nominate one of their executive body members for the position of ASOIF President.

Ingmar De Vos has served as FEI President since 2014 and as ASOIF Council member since 2019. An IOC Member since 2017, he is part of the IOC Coordination Commission for LA28, the Legal Affairs Commission, and the Gender Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Commission. He is also a SportAccord Executive Committee member, ASOIF representative on the WADA Executive Committee, member of the Board of Directors of the Belgium Olympic Committee, and a UN International Gender Champion.

The 48th General Assembly will be organised during the SportAccord World Sport & Business Summit, which takes place from 7 to 11 April in Birmingham, United Kingdom. It will be fully livestreamed on YouTube. Click here to learn more about the agenda.

[Source: SportAccord] SportAccord is pressing ahead with vital structural changes, after Martin Gibbs was confirmed as the organisation’s new permanent Managing Director.

This appointment is one of several concrete steps taken by SportAccord since the dissolution of the Global Association of International Sports Federations (GAISF) was voted by its members in late November.

With professional services provider Ernst & Young handling GAISF’s liquidation, the ongoing integration of various activities, responsibilities, and staff members into SportAccord is firmly on track, ensuring continuity for International Federations and the broader sports movement.

Statutes are being revised to fulfil commitments given to the global sporting community, and SportAccord is working on terms of reference for a new Membership Commission, which will oversee the application process for International Federations to join the Alliance of Independent recognised Members of Sport (AIMS).

Under SportAccord’s revised governance structure, the Association of IOC Recognised International Sports Federations (ARISF) and Alliance of Independent recognised Members of Sport (AIMS) will become Members. They will join the Association of Summer Olympic International Federations (ASOIF) and the Association of International Olympic Winter Sports Federations (AIOWF).

[Source: GAISF] GAISF President Ivo Ferriani marked this year’s United Nations (UN) International Youth Day by calling on the global sports community to ensure the world’s youth have a voice in the development and future of sport.

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 “Intergenerational Solidarity: Creating a World for All Ages”. As part of strengthening intergenerational solidarity, ensuring that young people have a voice in decision-making mechanisms is vital in bridging generational gaps.

President Ferriani said: “Sport has a key role to play in the physical, mental and social development of young people, so it is key that the global sports community listens to their voice when guiding sport’s global development. By working collaboratively, we can help draw more young people to sport and increase participation to secure sport’s future.

“As an integral part of society, sport can also be a powerful intergenerational activity. At all levels older generations pass on their knowledge to young people, ensuring that younger generations can experience the joy of sport and benefit from an active lifestyle. In a time where solidarity and collaboration are more important than ever, it is vital that we harness sport’s role as a vehicle for promoting social cohesion among all ages.”

[Source: ASOIF] The Association of Summer Olympic International Federations (ASOIF) today released a position paper titled “The solidarity model of organised sport in Europe and beyond - A stable platform for collaboration”, aimed at contributing to a better understanding of the role International Federations (IFs) play in the global organisation of sport, and to a more informed debate on its future.

Primarily addressed to public authorities in Europe and beyond, sport organisations and the business sector, this paper was developed against the backdrop of ongoing discussions at European level on how to best safeguard values-based sport while IFs regularly face challenges to their operations, including proceedings and lawsuits in various territories. In particular it aims to provide a proactive and constructive response to the Resolution on the key features of a European Sport Model recently adopted by the European Union’s Education, Youth, Culture and Sport Council. The Resolution asks the sport movement to support the key features of a European Sport Model which reflects the worldwide solidarity model of organised sport. It also calls upon the sport world to further explore and continue ongoing discussions with all stakeholders and acknowledge the diversity of approaches and new developments across different types of sport, in line with values-based organised sport.

ASOIF President Francesco Ricci Bitti said about the new position paper: “In our ever-changing world, the relevance of sport keeps growing. Every day, new stakeholders become involved in the sport sector. That is not necessarily a bad thing, but it renders the role and activities of IFs, and the Olympic Movement at large, more complex. This situation also makes it more urgent to safeguard the values of the solidarity model of organised sport while still embracing progress and new ideas. I am convinced that the two can go hand-in-hand.”

He emphasised: “However, public authorities, sport organisations and the world of business must all work together if we want to tap the full potential of sport. Our paper aims to go beyond declarations, setting out solutions that we believe are fast, solid and sustainable.”

The document explains the role and diversity of IFs as worldwide governing bodies of their respective sports; it outlines the solidarity model of organised sport and details its key features; and it looks at other models of sport organisation, recent trends and developments which keep transforming the world of sport, providing both opportunities and challenges. The proposed framework at the end of the paper contains clear commitments on how IFs, public authorities and commercial entities can work together efficiently, expanding on the recent reflections of the European institutions and beyond.

Click here to download the document.