The Global Association of International Sports Federations (GAISF) was the umbrella organisation for all international sports federations, as well as organiser of multi-sports games and sport-related international associations. It changed its name to SportAccord from March 2009 to April 2017, when it reverted to its GAISF. It was an international sport organisation with 95 full members (international sports federations governing specific sports worldwide) and 20 associate members (organisations which conduct activities closely related to the international sports federations).

In November 2022, the members of the Global Association of International Sports Federations (GAISF) voted to dissolve the organisation.

The revised governance structure will see the Association of IOC Recognised International Sports Federations (ARISF) and the Alliance of Independent Recognised Members of Sport (AIMS) join the Association of Summer Olympic International Federations (ASOIF) and the Association of International Olympic Winter Sports Federations (AIOWF) as the four main stakeholders of SportAccord.

Members of the GAISF approved the final steps in the liquidation of the organisation at an extraordinary general assembly held on 14 September 2023.

GAISF Council

The council was composed of a president, two vice-presidents, a treasurer and five members.

The council's final composition was:

DesignationNameCountrySport Federation
PresidentIvo FerrianiItalyInternational Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation
Vice-PresidentStephan FoxGermany/AustraliaInternational Federation of Muaythai Amateur
TreasurerRiccardo FraccariItalyWorld Baseball Softball Confederation
Council MembersMarisol CasadoSpainInternational Triathlon Union
Kate CaithnessScotland/United KingdomWorld Curling Federation
Raffaele ChiulliItalyInternational Powerboating Federation
Nenad LalovićSerbiaUnited World Wrestling
Ingmar De VosBelgiumInternational Equestrian Federation

Function

GAISF was the umbrella organisation for both Olympic and non-Olympic international sports federations, as well as organisers of international sporting events. In this role it provided expertise in, for example, anti-doping, integrity and social responsibility. By establishing multi-sports games that group together similar sports, GAISF aimed to promote the members and the members' visibility.

Membership

Member international federations could be either full or associate members of GAISF.

History

GAISF 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 International (UCI), a permanent bureau of the IFs was established to facilitate dialogue with the Olympic authorities.[citation needed]

In 1967, 26 international sports federations met in Lausanne, agreed on the need to increase permanent liaisons, and adopted the name, "General Assembly of International Sports Federations". 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 the first SportAccord International Convention in 2003. This new format “by sport for sport” allowed 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 from Monaco to Lausanne, the Olympic capital.

In April 2017, following the former president Marius Vizer's controversial attack against IOC president Thomas Bach during the opening SportAccord's 2015 convention in Sochi and his subsequent resignation, the organisation rebranded back to GAISF under its new president Patrick Baumann.

1920s

As early as 1921, under the direction of Paul Rousseau, Secretary General of the “Union Cycliste International”, 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 that 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 their meetings, which had taken place frequently but without rules or a fixed organisation. The common preparation of these meetings with the IOC could thus be better supported. It also permitted a constant liaison between the IFs and the general population. In 1966, the time seemed appropriate, and the conversion 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 extension of the past meetings of the IFs, 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 of the IFs, which were looking for a “one-stop shop” where they could 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.

On 25 May 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.

On 31 May 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 l'Automobile were voted into SportAccord.

On 20 April 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 (now known as World Athletics), the ISSF, and World Archery withdrew from SportAccord in protest, and there were a number of further withdrawals in May 2015, including the International Rowing Federation.

At the 2017 convention in Aarhus, Federation Internationale du Sport Universitaire (FISU) and Federation of International Bandy (FIB) became full members and SportAccord was renamed GAISF.

By the end of 2018, The World ArmWrestling Federation (WAF) was the new addition to the GAISF Full Member List along with 4 Associate Members – World Olympics Association, International Sports Press Association, World Union of Olympic Cities and World Federation of the Sporting Goods Industry.

In May 2019, Raffaele Chiulli was unanimously elected as GAISF President in Gold Coast, Australia.

Member federations at time of dissolution

#SportOrganisationAcronymFoundedMembership
ASOIFAIOWFARISFAIMS
1AikidoInternational Aikido FederationIAF1976•
2Air sportsWorld Air Sports FederationFAI1905•
3American footballInternational Federation of American FootballIFAF1998•
4AquaticsWorld AquaticsAQUA1908•
5ArcheryWorld Archery FederationWA1931•
6ArmwrestlingWorld Armwrestling FederationWAF1977•
7AthleticsWorld AthleticsIAAF1912•
8Automobile racingFédération Internationale de l'AutomobileFIA1904•
9BadmintonBadminton World FederationBWF1934•
10BandyFederation of International BandyFIB1955•
11Baseball and softballWorld Baseball Softball ConfederationWBSC2013Associate member•
12BasketballInternational Basketball FederationFIBA1932•
13Basque pelotaFederación Internacional de Pelota VascaFIPV1929•
14BiathlonInternational Biathlon UnionIBU1993•
15Billiard sportsWorld Confederation of Billiards SportsWCBS1992•
16BobsleighInternational Bobsleigh and Skeleton FederationIBSF1923•
17BodybuildingInternational Federation of Bodybuilding & FitnessIFBB1946•
18BoulesConfédération Mondiale des Sports de BoulesCMSB1985•
19BowlingInternational Bowling FederationIBF1952•
20BoxingInternational Boxing AssociationIBA1946•
21BridgeWorld Bridge FederationWBF1958•
22CanoeingInternational Canoe FederationICF1946•
23CastingInternational Casting Sport FederationICSF1955•
24CheerInternational Cheer UnionICU2004•
25ChessInternational Chess FederationFIDE1924•
26Climbing & MountaineeringInternational Climbing and Mountaineering FederationUIAA1932•
27CricketInternational Cricket CouncilICC1909•
28CurlingWorld Curling FederationWCF1966•
29Cycle SportInternational Cycling UnionUCI1900•
30DanceSportWorld DanceSport FederationWDSF1957Associate Member•
31DartsWorld Darts FederationWDF1974•
32Dragon BoatInternational Dragon Boat FederationIDBF1991•
33DraughtsWorld Draughts FederationFMJD1947•
34Equestrian sportsInternational Federation for Equestrian SportsFEI1921•
35FencingInternational Fencing FederationFIE1913•
36FistballInternational Fistball AssociationIFA1960•
37FloorballInternational Floorball FederationIFF1986•
38Flying discWorld Flying Disc FederationWFDF1985•
39FootballFédération Internationale de Football AssociationFIFA1904•
40GoInternational Go FederationIGF1982•
41GolfInternational Golf FederationIGF1958•
42GymnasticsInternational Gymnastics FederationFIG1881•
43HandballInternational Handball FederationIHF1946•
44Field hockeyInternational Hockey FederationFIH1924•
45Ice hockeyInternational Ice Hockey FederationIIHF1908•
46Ice stock sportInternational Federation IcestocksportIFI1975•
47JudoInternational Judo FederationIJF1951•
48Ju-JitsuJu-Jitsu International FederationJJIF1977•
49KarateWorld Karate FederationWKF1970•
50KendoInternational Kendo FederationFIK1970•
51KickboxingWorld Association of Kickboxing OrganisationsWAKO1976•
52KorfballInternational Korfball FederationIKF1963•
53LacrosseWorld LacrosseWL2008•
54LifesavingInternational Life Saving FederationILS1993•
55LugeFédération Internationale de Luge de CourseFIL1957•
56MinigolfWorld Minigolf Sport FederationWMF1963•
57Modern pentathlonUnion Internationale de Pentathlon ModerneUIPM1912•
58Motorcycle racingFédération Internationale de MotocyclismeFIM1904•
59MuaythaiInternational Federation of Muaythai AmateurIFMA1993•
60NetballInternational Federation of Netball AssociationsIFNA1960•
61OrienteeringInternational Orienteering FederationIOF1961•
62PoloFederation of International PoloFIP1983•
63PowerboatingUnion Internationale MotonautiqueUIM1927•
64PowerliftingInternational Powerlifting FederationIPF1971•
65Practical shootingInternational Practical Shooting ConfederationIPSC1976•
66RacquetballInternational Racquetball FederationIRF1950•
67Roller sportsWorld SkateFIRS1924•
68RowingWorld RowingFISA1892•
69Rugby unionWorld RugbyWR1886•
70SailingWorld SailingWS1907•
71SamboFédération Internationale de SamboFIAS1992•
72SavateFederation Internationale de SavateFISav1992•
73SepaktakrawInternational Sepaktakraw FederationISTAF1988•
74Shooting sportInternational Shooting Sport FederationISSF1907•
75SkatingInternational Skating UnionISU1892•
76SkiingFédération Internationale de SkiFIS1924•
77Ski mountaineeringInternational Ski and Snowboard FederationISMF2008•
78SleddogInternational Federation of Sleddog SportsIFSS1992•
79Soft tennisInternational Soft Tennis FederationISTF1999•
80Sport climbingInternational Federation of Sport ClimbingIFSC2007•
81Sports fishingConfédération Internationale de la Pêche SportiveCIPS1952•
82SquashWorld Squash FederationWSF1967•
83SumoInternational Sumo FederationIFS1992•
84SurfingInternational Surfing AssociationISASurf1964•
85Table tennisInternational Table Tennis FederationITTF1926•
86TaekwondoWorld TaekwondoWT1973•
87TennisInternational Tennis FederationITF1913•
88TeqballInternational Federation of TeqballFITEQ2017•
89TriathlonInternational Triathlon UnionITU1989•
90Tug of warTug of War International FederationTWIF1960•
91Underwater sportsConfédération Mondiale des Activités SubaquatiquesCMAS1959•
92University SportsFédération Internationale du Sport UniversitaireFISU1949•
93VolleyballFédération Internationale de VolleyballFIVB1947•
94WaterskiingInternational Waterski & Wakeboard FederationIWWF1955•
95WeightliftingInternational Weightlifting FederationIWF1905•
96WrestlingUnited World WrestlingUWW1912•
97WushuInternational Wushu FederationIWUF1990•
31+273920

Associate members at time of dissolution

Other members were:

Observers at time of dissolution

Before the dissolution of GAISF in 2023, the GAISF Observer Status could be requested by the applicants for GAISF membership interested to obtain support and guidance in their path to fulfil the GAISF membership criteria. At the time of dissolution, it had 11 observers:

SportOrganisationAcronymOfficial websiteNotes
DodgeballWorld Dodgeball AssociationWDA
FootgolfFederation for International FootGolfFIFG
Jump ropeInternational Jump Rope UnionIJRU
Kettlebell liftingInternational Union of Kettlebell LiftingIUKL
Obstacle racingWorld ObstacleFISO
PadelInternational Padel FederationIPF
PokerInternational Federation of Match PokerIFMP
Pole sportsInternational Pole and Aerial Sports FederationIPSF
RaftingInternational Rafting FederationIRF
Rugby leagueRugby League International FederationIRL
Table football/soccerInternational Table Soccer FederationITSF

List of GAISF presidents

PresidentMember ofDuration
William Berge PhillipsFINA1967–1969
Thomas KellerFISA1969–1986
Un Yong KimWTF1986–2004
Hein VerbruggenUCI2004–2013
Marius VizerIJF2013–2015
Gian-Franco KasperFIS2015–2016
Patrick BaumannFIBA2016–2018
Raffaele ChiulliUIM2018–2021
Ivo FerrianiIBSF2021–2023

Final organizational structure

PresidentVice PresidentInterim Manager
Ivo FerrianiStephan FoxNis Hatt

See also

Footnotes

Notes and references

External links