SportAccord
 | |
| Formation | 1967 |
|---|---|
| Type | Sports organization |
| Headquarters | Lausanne, Switzerland |
Membership |
92 full members and 17 associate members. |
Official language | English, French |
President | Francesco Ricci Bitti |
| Website | sportaccord.com |
SportAccord is the umbrella organisation for all (Olympic and non-Olympic) international sports federations as well as organisers of multi-sports games and sport-related international associations.[1][2] SportAccord is an international sport organisation with 92 full members (international sports federations governing specific sports worldwide) and 17 associate members (organisations which conduct activities closely related to the international sports federations).[2]
Mission and values
SportAccord is the umbrella organisation for both Olympic and non-Olympic international sports federations as well as organisers of international sporting events and in this case provide expertise in, for example, anti-doping, integrity, social responsibility.[2]
By establishing multi-sports games that group together similar sports, the SportAccord aims to promote the members and the members visibility.[2]
Definition of sport
The SportAccord has developed a definition of sport to determine whether an applicant federation qualifies as an international sports federation.
SportAccord's definition of Sport is the following definition:[3]
- The sport proposed should include an element of competition.
- The sport should not rely on any element of “luck” specifically integrated into the sport.
- The sport should not be judged to pose an undue risk to the health and safety of its athletes or participants.
- The sport proposed should in no way be harmful to any living creature.
- The sport should not rely on equipment that is provided by a single supplier.
SportAccord uses five categories for its member federations' sports, many of which fall into more than one category:
- Primarily physical (e.g. rugby or athletics)
- Primarily mind (e.g. chess or go)
- Primarily motorised (e.g. Formula One or powerboating)
- Primarily coordination (e.g. billiards)
- Primarily animal-supported (e.g. equestrianism)
Membership
SportAccord operates with two term of membership. First of the international federation can be Full Member or secondary be Associate Member of SportAccord.[4]
History
The SportAccord is deeply rooted in the sports movement. As early as 1921, international sports federations (IFs) expressed the need for a representative of their common objectives and interests. Under the direction of Paul Rousseau, Secretary General of the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI), a permanent bureau of the IFs was established to facilitate the dialogue with the Olympic authorities.
In 1967, 26 international sports federations met in Lausanne and agreed on the need to increase permanent liaisons and the name “General Assembly of International Sports Federations” was adopted. In order to establish a more formalised organisation, the “General Association of International Sports Federations" (GAISF) was formed in 1976 and the headquarters were moved to Monaco two years later.
The new millennium brought important changes to the organisation. Reacting to the increasing pressure on IFs to professionalise and develop, GAISF in collaboration with the Associations of Summer and Winter Olympic International Federations (ASOIF and AIOWF), launched first SportAccord International Convention in 2003. At the time, this new format “by sport for sport” allows IFs and sports business to get together, share knowledge and network.
In March 2009, GAISF was rebranded SportAccord and, in the same year, its offices moved to Lausanne, the Olympic Capital. SportAccord officially adopted the mission to UNITE & SUPPORT and developed into a dynamic and active organisation which aims to serve and promote its members. Its ambition is to provide high-quality services and expertise in areas that are of high importance to its members.
Currently, SportAccord’s focus is on sports’ social responsibility, sports’ integrity, doping-free sport, digital media and multi-sports games.
1920s
As early as 1921, under the direction of Paul ROUSSEAU, Secretary General of the “Union Cycliste Internationale”, a permanent bureau of the international sports federations (IFs) was created. With regular IFs/IOC meetings taking place, dialogue with the Olympic authorities became easier. However, organisations that were not part of the Olympic movement were excluded.
1960s
In the 1960s, the sports movement evolved rapidly.
Roger Coulon, President of the “Fédération Internationale de Lutte Amateur”, was the first to express the need, for a wider recognition of the role of IFs. For non-Olympic federations, a forum which would enable them to better express their points of view was necessary. The creation of a stable organisation ensuring permanent relations between IFs appeared to be the logical continuation of the meetings which took place frequently but without rules or a fixed organisation. The common preparation of these meetings with the IOC could thus be better supported. It would also permit a constant liaison between the IFs and the outside world. In 1966, the time seemed appropriate and the convocation to the newly constituted Assembly was launched.
1967
On 21–23 April 1967, delegates from the following 26 international sports federations met in Lausanne in the Hotel Continental: Aeronautics, Rowing, Basketball, Bobsleigh, Boules, Canoeing, Cycling, Equestrian, Fencing, Gymnastics, Handball, Hockey, Ice Hockey, Judo, Luge, Wrestling, Motorcycling, Swimming, Modern Pentathlon, Roller-Skating, Skiing, Shooting, Volleyball, Weightlifting, University Sport, and Maccabi.
The delegates agreed on the necessity to establish permanent liaisons between the IFs, for the defence of their objectives and common goals, the preservation of their autonomy and constant exchange of information. The name “General Assembly of International Sports Federations” was adopted.
In 1976, this name was replaced by “General Association of International Sports Federations” (GAISF). In 1978, the office moved from Lausanne to Monaco. GAISF represented the logical continuation of the past IFs meetings, dealing not only with Olympic matters but also with all questions of common interest for the IFs.
2000s
In 2003, in collaboration with ASOIF and AIOWF, GAISF launched the first SportAccord Convention to answer a need from the IFs, which were looking to have a “one-stop-shop”, where they could all hold their annual meetings, be encouraged to network and share their knowledge.
In March 2009, GAISF was rebranded SportAccord at the meeting of the 7th SportAccord International Convention in Denver. In April 2009, it moved its main office from Monaco to Maison du Sport International in Lausanne, Switzerland. Due to the growing ambitions of SportAccord, the team is continuously growing.[5]
On May 25, 2012, the last of eight days of the annual General Assembly of SportAccord in Quebec City, the Federation of International Lacrosse and the International Mind Sports Association were accepted, bringing "the number of SportAccord members to 107".[6]
On May 31, 2013, the last of eight days of the annual General Assembly of SportAccord in Saint Petersburg, the International Cheer Union and the Federation Internationale de I'Automobile were voted into SportAccord.[7]
On April 20, 2015, at SportAccord's 2015 convention in Sochi, SportAccord president Marius Vizer made a speech that was sharply critical of the IOC and its president, Thomas Bach. Following the speech, the IAAF, the ISSF, and World Archery withdrew from SportAccord in protest,[8] and there were a number of further withdrawals in May 2015 including the International Rowing Federation.[9]
Member federations
Associate members
- Commonwealth Games: Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF)
- European broadcasting: European Broadcasting Union (EBU o UER)
- Masters Games: International Masters Games Association (IMGA)
- Mediterranean Games: International Committee of Mediterranean Games (ICMG o CIJM)
- Military World Games: Conseil International du Sport Militaire (CISM)
- World Mind Sports Games: International Mind Sports Association (IMSA)
- Panathlon: Panathlon International (PI)
- Paralympic Games: International Paralympic Committee (IPC)
- School Sports: International School Sport Federation (ISF)
- Special Olympics: Special Olympics (SOI)
- Sports chiropractic: Federation Internationale de Chiropratique du Sport (FICS)
- Sports facilities: International Association for Sports and Leisure Facilities (IAKS)
- Sports for the Deaf: International Committee of Sports for the Deaf (CISS)
- Sports Medicine: International Federation of Sports Medicine (FIMS)
- The World Games: International World Games Association (IWGA)
- Universiade: Federation Internationale du Sport Universitaire (FISU)
- CSIT World Sports Games: International Labour Sports Federation (CSIT)
List of GAISF presidents
| President | Member of | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| W Berge Phillips | FINA | 1967–1969 |
| Thomas Keller | FISA | 1969-1986 |
| Un Yong Kim | WTF | 1986–2004 |
| Hein Verbruggen | UCI | 2004–2013 |
| Marius Vizer | IJF | 2013–present |
Current organizational structure
| President | Vice president | Vice president | General director |
|---|---|---|---|
| Francesco Ricci Bitti | Ron Froehlich | Antonio Espinós Ortueta | Vlad Marinescu |
The SportAccord International Convention
Originally launched in 2003, SportAccord International Convention is a gathering of more than 2,500 leading representatives from the sport industry. It offers the participants a powerful opportunity to come together on a global scale, in an exclusive and authoritative networking environment, to build relationships, share knowledge and develop ideas that will benefit the entire community.[11]
Unlike any other event of its type, SportAccord International Convention is owned and endorsed by the sports movement itself. It was created and is owned by SportAccord, the Association of Summer Olympic International Federations (ASOIF) and the Association of International Olympic Winter Federations (AIOWF). Over the past decade, SportAccord International Convention has become one of the key fixtures on the world-wide sporting calendar. It allows associations as well as the international sports federations to increase efficiency by holding all their annual meetings at the same time and place, and serves also as a commercial platform whereby the sports industry can have 'one-stop-shop' access to the world governing bodies of sport and their key decision-makers.[12]
| SAIC | Dates | Host City |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | May 12–16, 2003 | Madrid, Spain |
| 2nd | May 15–20, 2004 | Lausanne, Switzerland[13] |
| 3rd | April 16–20, 2005 | Berlin, Germany |
| 4th | April 3–7, 2006 | Seoul, South Korea[14] |
| 5th | April 22–27, 2007 | Beijing, China[15] |
| 6th | June 2–6, 2008 | Athens, Greece[16][17][18] |
| 7th | March 23–27, 2009[19][20] | Denver, United States[21][22] |
| 8th | April 20–25, 2010[23] | Dubai, United Arab Emirates (#1)[24][25] |
| 9th | April 3–8, 2011[26] | London, United Kingdom[27][28] |
| 10th | May 20–25, 2012[29] | Quebec City, Canada[30][31] |
| 11th | May 26–31, 2013[32] | Saint Petersburg, Russia[33] |
| 12th | April 6–11, 2014[34] | Belek, Turkey[35] |
| 13th | April 19 – 24, 2015[36] | Sochi, Russia[37] |
| 14th | April 17-22, 2016 | Lausanne, Switzerland |
See also
- International Olympic Committee (IOC)
- Association of Summer Olympic International Federations (ASOIF)
- Association of International Olympic Winter Sports Federations (AIOWF)
- Association of the IOC Recognised International Sports Federations (ARISF)
- International World Games Association (IWGA)
- List of international sport federations
- World Combat Games
- SportAccord World Mind Games
Notes and references
- ↑ "Members". SportAccord – International Federations' Union (sportaccord.com). 2013-07-19. Retrieved 2013-08-13.
- 1 2 3 4 "MISSION". Retrieved 15 June 2015.
- ↑ "Definition of Sport". SportAccord.
- ↑ "Associate Membership". SportAccord. 2013-07-19. Retrieved 2013-08-13.
- ↑ "History of SportAccord". SportAccord. Retrieved 2009-10-06.
- ↑ "Federation of International Lacrosse and International Mind Sports Association are new SportAccord Members". SportAccord. 25 May 2012.
- ↑ "International Cheer Union and Federation Internationale de l'Automobile are new SportAccord Members". SportAccord. 31 May 2013.
- ↑ Livingstone, Robert. "SportAccord Counts Its Losses After Chief’s Attack on Olympics Backfires". GamesBids.com. Retrieved 20 April 2015.
- ↑ "World Rowing resigns from SportAccord". insidethegames. 20 May 2015.
- 1 2 3 The IAAF, ISSF and World Archery Federation withdrew from SportAccord on April 20, 2015.
- ↑ Convention History[?]. SportAccord Convention.
- ↑ "SportAccord International Convention". Retrieved 2011-09-16.
- ↑ "Lausanne To Host 2004 SportAccord Convention" (PDF). SportAccord. Retrieved 2011-09-20.
- ↑ "The World Meets In Seoul" (PDF). Around the Rings. April 2006. Retrieved 2011-09-20.
- ↑ "Countdown to Beijing" (PDF). Around the Rings. April 2007. Retrieved 2011-09-20.
- ↑ "Athens hosted the most successful edition of SportAccord". Athens Convention Bureau (English). Retrieved 2011-09-16.
- ↑ "SportAccord 2008 tightens focus on cities". Sport Business. Retrieved 2011-09-20.
- ↑ "Athens Hosts Sixth Edition of SportAccord" (PDF). Around the Rings. June 2008. Retrieved 2011-09-20.
- ↑ "Sportaccord 2009 Kicks Off in Denver". Around the Rings. March 23, 2009. Retrieved 2011-09-20.
- ↑ "Denver Global Program (in .pdf)" (PDF). SportAccord. Retrieved 2011-09-20.
- ↑ "Denver is first North American city to host SportAccord conference". Metro Denver. Retrieved 2011-09-16.
- ↑ "Around the Rings Special Edition - SportAccord Denver" (PDF). Around the Rings. March 2009. Retrieved 2011-09-20.
- ↑ "Dubai Global Program (in .pdf)" (PDF). SportAccord. Retrieved 2011-09-20.
- ↑ "Dubai to host SportAccord in 2010". Sport Business. Retrieved 2011-09-20.
- ↑ "Around the Rings Special Edition - Dubai" (PDF). Around the Rings. April 2010. Retrieved 2011-09-20.
- ↑ "Registration opens for 2011 SportAccord Convention in London". london.gov.uk. October 4, 2010. Retrieved 2011-09-20.
- ↑ "London To Host SportAccord Convention". London Press Service. Retrieved 2011-09-16.
- ↑ "Around the Rings SportAccord Special Edition" (PDF). Around the Rings. April 2011. Retrieved 2012-03-25.
- ↑ "SportAccord Convention Selects Iconic Quebec Hotel". Around the Rings. June 22, 2011. Retrieved 2011-09-20.
- ↑ "SportAccord Convention 2012 Awarded to Québec City". Canadian Sport Tourism Alliance. Retrieved 2012-04-16.
- ↑ "The ATR SportAccord 2012 Special Edition". Around the Rings. May 21, 2012. Retrieved 2012-06-04.
- ↑ "Saint Petersburg to host 2013 SportAccord Convention". Retrieved 15 June 2015.
- ↑ Around the Rings Special Edition about 2013 SportAccord Convention
- ↑ "SportAccord convention 2013 draws record attendance". Retrieved 15 June 2015.
- ↑ "Conferences Convention - SportAccord 2014 to Turkey". Retrieved 15 June 2015.
- ↑ "Dates for 2015 SportAccord International Convention in Sochi announced". Retrieved 15 June 2015.
- ↑ "Sochi to host 2015 SportAccord International Convention". Retrieved 15 June 2015.
External links
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