The IFA Board of Directors meeting confirmed the IFA meetings 2024 and approved an updated IFA Honorary Order.

10 December 2023 marks the 75th anniversary of one of the world’s most groundbreaking global pledges: the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). This landmark document enshrines the inalienable rights that everyone is entitled to as a human being – regardless of race, colour, religion, sex, language, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status.

The Declaration was proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly in Paris on 10 December 1948 and sets out, for the first time, fundamental human rights to be universally protected.

An IFA Policy on Human Rights will be discussed in today IFA Board of Directors meeting.

The topic of “sport and human rights” has moved to the center of social attention. Values such as respect, transparency and independence as well as the three areas of sustainability are practiced by the fistball family and are firmly anchored in the rules and regulations, such as the IFA statutes. The children’s and human rights from the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UN Guiding Principles) provide a framework for the values of sport.

In doing so, we are following the example of international sport, including the International Olympic Committee (IOC), which adopted its strategic framework for human rights in 2022. In addition, as civil society organizations, we are committed to the implementation of human and children’s rights within the opportunities that sport offers.

With the help of this policy, we would also like to highlight and raise awareness of the opportunities that sport offers in terms of respecting human rights.

Thank you for your support and your friendship in 2023!
IFA is looking forward to all Fistball activities all around the world with many highlights, especially the U18 World Championships in Chile and the Women’s World Championship in Argentina!

Our office will close on Friday 22 December 2023 at 1pm and will reopen on Monday 8 January 2024 at 9am.

On behalf of the IFA Board of Directors we’re sending best regards and we wish you Merry Christmas and a good start into a healthy, active and happy new year 2024.

The annual International Federations Forum (IF Forum) took place at the Olympic Museum in Lausanne at the beginning of this week.

The event kicked off with the AIMS General Assembly at the Olympic House.

Stephan Fox, the President of AIMS, opened the General Assembly by emphasizing the continuous collaboration between AIMS and the IOC since 2016. This partnership has been pivotal in advancing sports not yet acknowledged by the IOC. Mr. Fox expressed gratitude to the IOC for their unwavering support.

Mr. Kit McConnell, the IOC Sport Director, conveyed a welcoming message on behalf of the IOC, underlining the close cooperation between the two entities. McConnell highlighted that in 2021, six AIMS members gained full recognition from the IOC, and three former AIMS members were incorporated into the 2026 Winter and 2028 Summer Olympic programs.

Mr. Ivo Ferriani, the President of SportAccord, extended congratulations to AIMS for their remarkable contributions to grassroots development and fostering a family spirit. He commended the seamless cooperation between AIMS and the IOC.

The agenda covered various crucial topics, including discussions on the dissolution of GAISF and the reinforced position of AIMS within the Olympic family.

A special highlight for the AIMS family was an exclusive tour of the Olympic House, providing a unique and enriching experience for all participants.

At the 28th TAFISA World Congress, almost 400 delegates from 70 countries discussed the developments and challenges of the global “Sport for All” movement in a practice-oriented manner. IFA was represented this year by IFA President Jörn Verleger, Secretary General Christoph Oberlehner, Erasmus Project Manager Hanna Einsiedler and Head of Events Sönke Spille.

The motto of this year’s congress was “Sport for All: More together than ever”. Around 60 international speakers, including IFA Secretary General Christoph Oberlehner, discussed topics such as Inclusion, Active Spaces, Well-Being Knowledge & Expertise and Sport Policy in a varied, interactive program. The cross-cutting themes of Peace, Youth, Major Sports Policy and Climate Change will also be highlighted.
In addition, sessions for the EU-funded Erasmus+ project “INTERACT+”, in which the IFA is involved, also took place during the congress days. During the congress, the next steps in the project were prepared and the upcoming capacity-building workshops (December 7/8, organized by the IFA in Linz) were planned and prepared.

As a result of the congress, the participants from 70 countries issued a declaration calling for more resources to implement the human right “Sport for All”

After four congress days, the 28th TAFISA World Congress came to a close. During this time, a total of three plenary sessions, 10 parallel sessions, three “Sport for All” excursions and four evening events took place.
The congress participants adopted a joint congress declaration (original below) in which they call on global politicians to take more intensive action and provide more resources for the implementation of the human right “Sport for All”. Specifically, the so-called “Call to Action” calls for orchestrated action by governments, the private sector, media, NGOs and global and regional institutions. The aim should be to make “Sport for All a mandate and not an option”.
TAFISA President Wolfgang Baumann: “During the Congress we had the opportunity to witness the positive impact of the Sport for All movement. The success stories and statistics that were shared clearly show the lasting differences our collective efforts can make in society. Participants came together from different cultures from all corners of the world. As a result, the congress also sent a strong signal for peace and mutual understanding between people. Together we can be the driving force for positive change and create a better world for all through Sport for All. More together than ever!”

After Munich 2003, this was the second time that the TAFISA World Congress was held in Germany. The congress is of great importance for the global development of grassroots sport, as international players enter into a multilateral exchange, including with the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the United Nations (UN), the World Health Organization (WHO) and national and international governmental and non-governmental organizations. At the heart of the work of TAFISA and its partners is the human right “Sport for All”, which goes back to the original Olympic movement around Pierre de Coubertin.

Exact wording of the congress declaration (“Call-to-Action”) of the 28th TAFISA World Congress:

Covid, Climate, Conflicts – the current crises that the world is facing are pushing people, societies, and countries apart.
We, the TAFISA World Congress participants, believe in the power of Sport for All as one of the very few unifying languages in the world.

The TAFISA World Congress provides a safe, welcoming, and inclusive platform where we talk, listen to and respect each other, and where we are able to exchange openly and work together.

This is a call for concerted action towards governments at all levels, the private sector, media, NGOs, global and regional institutions, across all sectors, to combine our complementary strengths and resources through the following actions:
• Implement Sport for All as a cross-cutting theme in all policy fields,
• Openly share and exchange knowledge and stories with the general public to increase impact,
• Recognise and support personal involvement through volunteerism and individual commitment to Sport for All,
• Invest people and resources in Sport for All as a means to contribute to the SDGs, and
• Make Sport for All a mandate and not an option.

Now is the time to act. More together than ever.
http://tafisa.org/sites/default/files/pdf/2023/TAFISA%20World%20Congress%202023_Call%20to%20Action.pdf

IFA is glad to invite you to a Capacity Building Workshop together with the European Flying Disc Association on 7 and 8 December 2023 in Linz. This Workshop is part of the INTERACT+ project under the leadership of TAFISA and is co-founded by the European Union.
Please find here the invitation to this Capacity Building Workshop about Sport for All activities and how to start and promote them with further information.

Dates: 7. December (9:00-18:00) & 8. December (9:00-12:00)
Place: Olympic Center Upper Austria, Auf der Gugl 30, 4020 Linz
Arrival: Possible on 6 December
Accommodation: Single rooms/double rooms, Olympic Center Linz, Auf der Gugl 30, 4020 Linz; www.sportland-ooe.at;
Registration: https://forms.office.com/e/LCeqVYRd5V
Costs: Member Federations only have to bear their travel costs, accommodation & full board (prices see attached letter or registration form).

What is it about?
The workshop is designed to focus on particpants‘ needs. So especially during the group work it is your time to take your own situation as it is as an example for a development, happening right now.
We got two group work sessions. In one or even both of them you should be able to work strategically on your own needs – or – maybe even better – learn from other associations‘ solutions they already found or are about to realise.

Target Groups:
The INTERACT Capacity-Building Framework has been tailored to answer the needs and expectations of leaders, decision-makers, staff and leading volunteers of International Sport Organisations and their continental, national and local affiliates and federations. Everybody who wants implement Sport for all activities in federations and clubs.

Language:
The workshop will be held in English

Registration:
We are looking forward to welcoming you in Linz! Please register your participation latest by 15. November online: https://forms.office.com/e/LCeqVYRd5V
There are only limited spaces, registrations are done following the “first come first serve” principle.

During the last IFA Board meeting on 1st of October, the body adopted new regulations for the World Tour Finals from 2024 and also the final qualification guidelines for the World Games 2025 in Chengdu.

World Tour Finals:
In the last Board meeting, the IFA Board of Directors dealt with an update of the World Tour Final Regulations. The IFA Board of Directors tasked a working group to address the issue of player eligibility at the World Tour Finals. The purpose of the change is to ensure the fair play of the competition and a longer commitment of players and clubs but not only one tournament. In the future, players must be eligible to play for their new club 5 months (previously one month) before the event.
The IFA Board of Directors unanimously approved the working group’s proposal. In addition, clubs that do not participate in the World Tour Finals despite qualifying will not be banned for the following year. The new regulations already apply to the 2024 World Tour Finals.

Download World Tour Final Regulations

World Games Qualification Guidelines:
The World Games 2025 will be held in Chengdu (CHN). Fistball participates at the World Games with a men’s and women’s competition with eight teams each. The qualification criteria for Fistball have now been slightly adapted in consultation with the International World Games Association compared to the last Games in 2022.
As in Birmingham, teams from at least 3 continents must participate in the competitions in accordance with IWGA regulations. The basis for the qualification guidelines therefore remains the Regional Championships, the winner of which is qualified for the World Games 2025. This is also to underline and increase the value of the Regional Championships. In addition, the IFA Board of Directors may invite the host country to participate in all categories. Remaining starting places will be awarded analogous to the last World Championship result, as has been the case in the past. What is new is that qualified national federations must register for the event within two months after notification of their qualification and pay a deposit.
We wish all teams a successful qualification for the World Games 2025!

Download World Games Selection and Qualification Criteria

The Men’s and Women’s U18 Fistball World Championships will be held in Chile in 2024. The U18 event will be held in Llanquihue from October 30 to November 2, 2024.

The International Fistball Association (IFA) is pleased to announce the venue for their premier youth event. Club Gimnástico Alemán de Llanquihue from Chile will host the next U18 Fistball World Championships in 2024. The exact date is from 30 October to 2 November 2024. The club is a very experienced host and receives support from its city and the regional government. In addition to several South American championships, Llanquihue has hosted the 1992 Men’s World Championship, the 2006 U18 World Championships and the 2015 Masters World Cup.

“Llanquihue has one of the most beautiful Fistball venues in the world and the event site offers a unique flair due to the impressive panorama with the lake and the volcanoes. The club has been investing a lot in youth work for some time and the organizers are extremely motivated. You can see how important the organization of the next U18 World Championship is to the people in the club. Numerous U18 national teams from all continents will participate in next year’s World Championships,” said IFA President Jörn Verleger.

“We are very proud to be the host of the next U18 Fistball World Championships. We receive great support from the city and also from our region, without which we would not be able to hold this event. We look forward to welcoming the best youth teams in the world to Llanquihue to celebrate a wonderful
Fistball festival in 2024,” says Rodrigo Böttger, President of the Chilean Fistball Federation. The signing of the contract took place last weekend in front of 150 youth players. All games will be played in one place, so short distances for athletes and spectators are guaranteed.