Federation of International Bandy

The Federation of International Bandy (FIB; French: Fédération internationale de bandy, Russian: Международная федерация хоккея с мячом, Swedish: Internationella Bandyförbundet) is the international governing body for the sport of bandy, including the variant called rink bandy. The federation is headquartered in Simrishamn Municipality, Sweden.

Federation of International Bandy
Formation12 February 1955
TypeSports federation
HeadquartersSimrishamn Municipality, Sweden
Membership
27 members
Official language
English, Swedish,
Russian
Stein Pedersen
Websiteworldbandy.com
World map showing the present members of FIB (green)
World map showing the 4 original members of FIB (green)

History

Bandy as we know it today has been played since the later half of the 19th Century. Rules were set up in the 1890s by the National Bandy Association in England and by the corresponding body in Russia. The Ligue International de Hockey sur Glace (LIHG) was founded on 15 May 1908 at 34 Rue de Provence in Paris, France,[1] at a time when bandy and ice hockey were seen as variants of the same game. The founders of the federation were representatives from Belgium, France, Great Britain, Switzerland and Bohemia (now Czech republic). However, as ice hockey became an Olympic sport while bandy did not, bandy only survived in some of the Nordic countries and the Soviet Union. LIHG is now the International Ice Hockey Federation.

In the 1940s, the Nordic countries Finland, Norway and Sweden set up a joint rules committee. In the early 1950s, the Soviet Union decided to break out of its isolation in international sport and started a friendly exchange with said Nordic countries.

The federation was formed on 12 February 1955 at Hotell Malmen in Stockholm, Sweden,[2] by representatives from Finland, Norway, the Soviet Union and Sweden. The federation has had its base in Sweden since 1979. Stein Pedersen is the current President of the FIB and Áttila Ádámfi its acting General Secretary.[3]

When FIB was formed in 1955, it introduced the same rules for bandy all over the world. Especially in Russia and other Soviet Republics, different rules had been used prior to this. Bandy World Championships have been organized for men since 1957 and for women since 2004.

The federation was named the International Bandy Federation (IBF) between 1957 and 2001. The current name was adopted at a request from the International Olympic Committee when the IOC made bandy a "recognized sport", since the acronym IBF at the time was already in use by the International Badminton Federation (in 2006, the International Badminton Federation changed names to Badminton World Federation and now uses the acronym BWF). In 2004, FIB was accepted by IOC.[4]

FIB is a member of Association of IOC Recognised International Sports Federations as well as Global Association of International Sports Federations.[5]

The number of bandy playing nations have grown considerably in the last decades. There were 27 national members of the federation as of 2017 [6][7] and Slovakia applied for membership.[8]

After the International Olympic Committee's recommendations following the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Federation of International Bandy excluded Russia from participating in the 2022 Women's Bandy World Championship.[9] The men's 2020 Bandy World Championship had already been postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and was to be held in 2022, but was finally cancelled on 1 March 2022, after Finland, Sweden, Norway, and the United States announced that they would not take part in the competition in Russia due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.[10][11][12][13]

Purposes

In 2011, FIB formulated its purposes as being the following.

FIB vows to completely share the principles and articles of the Olympic Charter in its activities, including the policy with regard to anti-doping controls.

FIB wants to promote the development of the sports of bandy and rink bandy in the member countries and wants to carry on propaganda for the importance and advantages of these sports. FIB also works for bandy to become an Olympic sport.

FIB declares itself to be an "independent autonomic mainsports organization which mainly is governing bandy activities all over the world".

FIB leads and supervises bandy and rink bandy around the world. FIB also sees as its job to settle the rules for the games.

One national member association should be entrusted by FIB with arranging an official world championship. FIB means that at least four nations must participate for it to be worth an event.

FIB also wants to promote the introduction and the membership of new nations to the organisation.[14]

Rules of the game

The rules of bandy is set in the Bandy Playing Rules. It is overseen by the Rules and Referee Committee.

Cooperation with other sport governing bodies

FIB has an agreement with the International Skating Union to use the same arenas. The cooperation between the two federations is increasing, since both have an interest in more indoor venues with large ice surfaces being built.[15]

Presidents

The following persons have been presidents of FIB:[16]

  • 1955–1963, Gunnar Galin, Sweden
  • 1963–1967, Allan Ljungqvist, Finland
  • 1967–1971, Arne Argus, Sweden
  • 1971–1978, Grigory Granaturov, Soviet Union
  • 1978–1983, Pontus Widén, Sweden
  • 1983–1991, Grigory Granaturov, Soviet Union
  • 1991–1993, Carl Fogelberg, Finland
  • 1993–1997, Staffan Söderlund, Sweden
  • 1997–2005, Albert Pomortsev, Russia
  • 2005–2005, Seppo Vaihela (acting), Sweden
  • 2005–2022, Boris Skrynnik, Russia
  • 2022–present, Stein Pedersen, Norway

Events

Members and years of admission

The federation was founded by the national bandy associations in Finland, Norway, the Soviet Union and Sweden on 12 February 1955.[17]

The Soviet membership was taken over by Russia in early 1992, following the dissolution of the Soviet Union in December 1991. For two months, the former Soviet Union national bandy team appeared as Commonwealth of Independent States, but the CIS was never formally a member of the FIB.

The member associations are divided in geographical zones. There are 27 associations in 4 zones (as of 25 March 2022):[18] Furthermore, on 26 September 2023, Italy was granted provisional membership.[19]

NumberRegionCountries
1 Africa1
2 Asia (Asian Bandy Federation)6
3 Europe17
4 Americas3
Total World27

Current members

Association Founded FIB
affiliation
External
link
National teams Top division
 Afghanistan 2012
  • Men's
    • U21
    • U19
    • U17
  • Women's
    • W U21
    • W U17
     Armenia 1999 2008
     Belarus 1999
    • Men's
      • U21
      • U19
      • U17
    • Women's
      • W U21
      • W U17
       Canada 1983
       China 2010
       Colombia 2017
       Czech Republic 2014
      • Men's
        • U21
        • U19
        • U17
      • Women's
        • W U21
        • W U17
         Estonia 2002
         Finland 1955
        Bandyliiga (men)
        Naisten Bandyliiga (women)
         Germany 2013
        • Men's
          • U21
          • U19
          • U17
        • Women's
          • W U21
          • W U17
           Great Britain 2010
           Hungary 1989
           India 2002
          • Men's
            • U21
            • U19
            • U17
          • Women's
            • W U21
            • W U17
             Japan 2011
            • Men's
              • U21
              • U19
              • U17
            • Women's
              • W U21
              • W U17
               Kazakhstan 1993
              • Men's
                • U21
                • U19
                • U17
              • Women's
                • W U21
                • W U17
                 Latvia 2006
                • Men's
                  • U21
                  • U19
                  • U17
                • Women's
                  • W U21
                  • W U17
                   Lithuania 2008
                   Mongolia 2002
                  • Men's
                    • U21
                    • U19
                    • U17
                  • Women's
                    • W U21
                    • W U17
                     Netherlands 1973
                     Norway 1920 1955
                    Premier League (men)
                     Russia 1898 1992[lower-alpha 1]
                    Super League (men)
                     Slovakia 2017
                    • Men's
                      • U21
                      • U19
                      • U17
                    • Women's
                      • W U21
                      • W U17
                       Somalia 2013
                      • Men's
                        • U21
                        • U19
                        • U17
                      • Women's
                        • W U21
                        • W U17
                         Sweden 1925 1955
                        Elitserien (men)
                        Elitserien (women)
                         Switzerland 2006
                         Ukraine 2008
                         United States 1981
                        1. 1955 as Soviet Union

                        Former members

                        • West Germany West Germany/Germany 1990–1991: Before the present German Bandy Association was founded in 2013, there had been an earlier, short-lived German federation, which was a member of FIB from 29 January 1990 until March 1991, when it voluntarily choose to leave.[20][21] In its short life span, it still overlived the German reunification in October 1990.
                        A world map showing all the member countries before the defunct associations were taken from the membership list of FIB.

                        A number of national federations have been admitted as members during the years[22] but then for different reasons not survived, often because of a lack of interest in the sport in their countries. In early 2017, seven federations were removed from the member list of FIB and in the summer of 2018 one more.[23] These defunct national federations were:

                        Association Founded FIB
                        affiliation
                        FIB leave National teams
                         Argentina 2008
                        • Men's
                          • U21
                          • U19
                          • U17
                        • Women's
                          • W U21
                          • W U17
                           Australia 2006
                          • Men's
                            • U21
                            • U19
                            • U17
                          • Women's
                            • W U21
                            • W U17
                             Denmark 2014
                            • Men's
                              • U21
                              • U19
                              • U17
                            • Women's
                              • W U21
                              • W U17
                               Ireland 2006
                              • Men's
                                • U21
                                • U19
                                • U17
                              • Women's
                                • W U21
                                • W U17
                                 Italy 2003
                                • Men's
                                  • U21
                                  • U19
                                  • U17
                                • Women's
                                  • W U21
                                  • W U17
                                   Kyrgyzstan 2005
                                  • Men's
                                    • U21
                                    • U19
                                    • U17
                                  • Women's
                                    • W U21
                                    • W U17
                                     Poland 2006
                                    • Men's
                                      • U21
                                      • U19
                                      • U17
                                    • Women's
                                      • W U21
                                      • W U17
                                       Serbia 2006
                                      • Men's
                                        • U21
                                        • U19
                                        • U17
                                      • Women's
                                        • W U21
                                        • W U17

                                        Continental federations

                                        Some of the Asian countries in FIB, and also the former member Kyrgyzstan, have founded the Asian Bandy Association, which has its headquarters in Astana (most recently known as Nur-Sultan), Kazakhstan.[24][25] This helps organize the bandy competition at the Asian Winter Games and works to spread the knowledge of bandy in Asia.

                                        Members:

                                        1.  China
                                        2.  Japan
                                        3.  Kazakhstan
                                        4.  Kyrgyzstan
                                        5.  Mongolia

                                        See also

                                        Notes

                                        1. IIHF and Paris International Ice Hockey Federation. Retrieved on 2010-02-18
                                        2. Claes-G Bengtsson 23 januari 2010 - Finskt i första VM-matchen Archived 2013-11-10 at the Wayback Machine
                                        3. "FIB - Stein Pedersen new FIB President – elected at FIB Annual Congress!". Retrieved 2022-10-30.
                                        4. "Federation of International Bandy". Archived from the original on 2012-01-19. Retrieved 2010-09-25.
                                        5. SportAccord changes name to Global Association of International Sports Federations
                                        6. "Members". Archived from the original on 2017-01-27. Retrieved 2017-01-26.
                                        7. "Google Translate". translate.google.co.uk. Archived from the original on 2018-10-02.
                                        8. "Historiskt bandyderby avgjort i Tjeckien – svenskar i vinnande laget". 18 May 2017.
                                        9. "Sweden to defend Women's Bandy World Championship title with Russia excluded". 22 March 2022.
                                        10. "Sweden and Finland boycott World Bandy Championships in Russia". 24 February 2022.
                                        11. "Suomi ei osallistu jääpallon MM-kisoihin Venäjällä – "Vastuullamme on turvata Suomen kansalaisten turvallisuus"" [Finland won't join the Bandy World Championship in Russia: "It's our responsibility to secure the safety of Finnish nationals"]. Ilta-Sanomat (in Finnish). 2022-02-24. Retrieved 2022-02-24.
                                        12. "Bekräftat: Sverige drar sig ur bandy-VM". www.aftonbladet.se (in Swedish). 24 February 2022. Retrieved 2022-02-24.
                                        13. "Herrarnas bandy-VM i Ryssland ställs in - ryssarna stängs av från mästerskap i Sverige". March 2022.
                                        14. "About FIB". FIB. 27 September 2011. Archived from the original on 6 December 2013. Retrieved 22 February 2014.
                                        15. kuzbassbandyclub.ru
                                        16. "Federation of International Bandy | Federation of International Bandy". Archived from the original on 2013-11-10. Retrieved 2011-09-02.
                                        17. "This is FIB". Federation of International Bandy. Retrieved 13 August 2021.
                                        18. "FIB - Members".
                                        19. FIB CONGRESS APPROVES AMENDMENTS OF ITS STATUTES
                                        20. "Information" (in German). Deutscher Bandy-Bund. 2013. Retrieved 9 August 2015.
                                        21. "FIB History". Federation of International Bandy. 2011-09-27. Archived from the original on 21 February 2014. Retrieved 9 August 2015.
                                        22. List of all members as of January 2012 with contact information, saved at web.archive.org, read 12 February 2017
                                        23. Members Archived 2017-01-27 at the Wayback Machine at FIB website, read on 12 February 2017
                                        24. "Бенди требует внимания и денег".
                                        25. "ОБЪЕДИНЕНИЕ ЮРИДИЧЕСКИХ ЛИЦ АЗИАТСКАЯ АССОЦИАЦИЯ БЕНДИ, Астана, БИН 200640016178".
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