The IRF recently attended a conference with the Alliance of Independent recognised Members of Sport (AIMS) to discuss the current challenges facing the organisations with GAISF Observe status during the pandemic and post pandemic. For those that are not familiar as to who AIMS is, here is an introduction.
The AIMS organisation was founded in 2009 by the non- IOC recognised members of GAISF and is the fourth group in GAISF along side the Association of IOC Recognised International Sport Federations (ARISF), the Association of Summer Olympic International Federations (ASOIF) and the Association of Winter Olympic International Federations (AIOWF).
April 19th, 2016 was a historical day for sport with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and AIMS in Lausanne. By granting recognition to AIMS, the IOC acknowledges the role of AIMS and it’s valuable contribution to support the Olympic Movement in the achievement of its missions and goals; in the fields of the development of sport, promotion of sport in support of athletes.
The aims of AIMS is to strengthen each individual sport, combine expertise, share knowledge and maintain close cooperation with the International Olympic Committee (IOC), so that the individual sport will achieve official recognition from the IOC. Five AIMS member federations in the past recent years have achieved this goal; these are the International Climbing and Mountaineering Federation, World Flying Disk Federation and International Federation of American Football, International Cheer Union and the International Federation of Muaythai Amateur with others hopefully to be recognised in the near future.
AIMS works very closely with the three IOC recognised federations and also IOC recognised games such as World Games, Universiade, TAFISA, Commonwealth Games and on a continental level with the Olympic Committee of Asia and so on for the benefits of all.
The exchange of culture, education and sport, and sport for all is an important platform; along with it is protecting each other from splinter groups, cooperation with WADA and using sport as a powerful tool to contribute to society. AIMS is also in close cooperation with Peace and Sport, Generations for Peace and UN Women.
AIMS is also an important partner of the SportAccord Convention and the Annual General Assembly is held during each year’s convention. Important AIMS meetings, however, will be held and hosted by AIMS Members, for example, this years convention in Bangkok was hosted by the International Federation of Muaythai Amateur and had speakers from IOC, IWGA, FISU, TAFISA and many others; to share knowledge and information on recognition and inclusion by the various organisations.
On a grassroots level, development is key, so whenever there is an AIMS conference it includes a 1 days workshop to introduce sports which are not as popular in these countries to a wider range of sporting enthusiasts.
Currently, AIMS has 21 sporting international federations as full members. The AIMS President is the General Secretary of IFMA, Stephan Fox. AIMS is looking forward to a continued close cooperation with the IOC to promote physical and sporting activities to develop society and to provide support to athletes and sporting bodies.
