ASOIF Council urges public authorities to respect sport organisations’ role
The Council of the Association of Summer Olympic International Federations (ASOIF) convened today in Lausanne and discussed the considerable impact of the ongoing war in Ukraine on international sport. The Council members reiterated their full solidarity with the Ukrainian sport community, and their support for the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC’s) sanctions against the Russian and Belarusian states and governments.
The Council members exchanged thoughts on the status of Russian and Belarusian athletes on the road to the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. ASOIF is ready to collaborate with the IOC and National Olympic Committees on clarifying a workable definition of “neutral athletes” as a necessary step to further explore the Russian and Belarusian athletes’ potential participation in the Olympic Games. This is a highly complex matter for the International Federations (IFs) in terms of their specificity and the particular qualification process. Different solutions may be required for different sports.
In light of the various positions covered recently in the media, the Council members raised the concern that, in the past, boycotts have never achieved anything and stressed that sport must bring people together, not divide them. The Council also emphasised the necessity to prevent public authorities’ influence in sport matters.
ASOIF President Francesco Ricci Bitti, who chaired today’s meeting, said in this regard: “During the ongoing debates about the potential participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes in the Olympic Games under certain conditions, it is important to recall that decisions in sport matters must ultimately remain as the remit of sport organisations. Consultation is preferable to public resolutions if we seek to facilitate solutions. The autonomy and the role of sport organisations are vital to maintain the dialogue open in this difficult time.”
The Council received an update of ASOIF’s Governance Task Force which is currently revising the methodology for the regular IF governance assessments. An informal working group of IF representatives was created to advise on the methodology revision. The questionnaire for the fifth IF governance review, to start later this year, will be finalised for presentation at the ASOIF Governance Workshop at the end of April. The Council members were also updated on the progress of SportAccord’s reorganisation, as well as the ASOIF Sustainability Consultative Group and Urban and Mass Participation Working Group, which have recently kicked off their activities.
In addition, the Council discussed details of this year’s ASOIF General Assembly, which will take place in a hybrid format on 31 May 2023 in Lausanne, Switzerland. The date will coincide with ASOIF’s 40th anniversary. This year’s agenda will include the election of three Council members, the Paris 2024 IF revenue share scheme, statute amendments, membership applications; and reports from the IOC, World Anti-Doping Agency, International Testing Agency and the Organising Committees for Paris 2024, Dakar 2026 and Los Angeles 2028.
The next ASOIF Council meeting will be held on 30 May 2023, one day prior to the ASOIF General Assembly.