ASOIF Council meets ahead of landmark General Assembly
The Council of the Association of Summer Olympic International Federations (ASOIF) convened today in Lausanne to discuss several items which will be tabled to the 48th ASOIF General Assembly on 9 April 2024. This year’s General Assembly will elect a new ASOIF President, with current President Francesco Ricci Bitti’s third and final term coming to an end on 31 December 2024. In line with the ASOIF Statutes, each Full Member may nominate one of its executive body members for the position of ASOIF President until 25 March. The General Assembly will be organised during the SportAccord World Sport & Business Summit, which takes place from 7 to 11 April in Birmingham, United Kingdom.
ASOIF President Francesco Ricci Bitti, who chaired today’s meeting, said: “With the Paris 2024 Olympic Games and our Presidential election on the horizon, this is a landmark year for ASOIF. Many important tasks lie ahead. Grounded on the invaluable expertise and collaborative spirit of our member federations, ASOIF continues to work hard and stands ready to write the next chapter.”
In Birmingham, the ASOIF General Assembly will also hear reports from the organisers of future Olympic Games. With less than a few months to go to Paris 2024 and in view of the International Federations' (IFs’) instrumental role in the delivery of the Olympic programme, a significant focus will be on the latest preparations for this summer’s Games.
In addition, the General Assembly will discuss the implications of the expanded LA28 sports programme, such as on areas like IF revenue share, athlete quotas, Olympic qualification systems and Games optimisation.
During today’s meeting, the Council also agreed to propose certain Statute amendments to the General Assembly, which, amongst others, aim to clarify the start and expiry date for Associate Membership given the increasingly dynamic Olympic Programme.
Francesco Ricci Bitti, who is also heading the ASOIF Governance Task Force, updated the Council members on the ongoing Fifth Review of IF Governance. All participating federations submitted their self-assessment questionnaire and the final report is due to be published in early summer.
In addition, the Council members discussed the significance of the European Court of Justice rulings on the European Super League and International Skating Union cases from December 2023. These decisions once again highlight the vulnerability of the present model of international sport organisation to the application of European Union competition law to core sporting regulations. ASOIF members will be briefed about this topic during a dedicated meeting in the near future.
The next ASOIF Council meeting will be held on 8 April 2024 in Birmingham, one day prior to the ASOIF General Assembly.