International World Games Association

The International World Games Association, abbreviated as IWGA, is an international association, recognised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), that organises every four years, beginning in 1981, the multi-sport event called The World Games.

International World Games Association
AbbreviationIWGA
Formation21 May 1980 (1980-05-21)
TypeSports association
HeadquartersLausanne, Switzerland
Membership
39
Official language
English
President
José Perurena López
WebsiteTheWorldGames.org

History

The IWGA was founded on 21 May 1980 in Seoul, South Korea, as World Games Council by 12 international sports federations with a worldwide reach that were not yet part of the Olympic Games.[1] The intention was to increase the popularity of the sports represented by these federations. The IWGA was constituted under Swiss law as a non-governmental and non-profit-making organisation.

In 1984, the World Games Council was renamed as the International World Games Association.[2] Since its creation, the number of member federations has increased to 39 with the most recent admissions being the International Sambo Federation and International Wushu Federation in May 2021.[3]

Structure

The highest body of the IWGA is the General Meeting. It is chaired by the President. It is composed of representatives from Member Federations, with one vote per federation. General Meetings can be held whenever deemed necessary, but one must be held each year as the Annual General Meeting (AGM). Among other rights, the General Meeting has the power to:

  • Approve and amend the Constitution
  • Ratify the selection of the Host City of The World Games
  • Ratify the selection of the sports, or disciplines of sports, of The World Games
  • Establish Committees[4]

Membership

Federations that intend to become a full member of the IWGA must be part of the Association of IOC Recognised International Sports Federations (ARISF). Since 2014, IOC recognition has become a prerequisite for International Federations to become a Member of the IWGA.[5] Sports that want to be recognised by the IWGA need to have a worldwide significance but actually must not be in the programme of the Olympic Games. Increasingly, international sports federations that take part in the Olympic Games have maintained a presence in the World Games for the disciplines and events that cannot be included in the Olympics, e.g. compound and field archery, acrobatic and aerobic gymnastics.

Affiliate status

Since 2020, Affiliate Status was introduced for full Members of ASOIF and AIOWF. 

Affiliate status is temporary, and only open to those Federations that are not a Member of the IWGA and feature on the programme of the next edition of The World Games or of other sport events that the IWGA organises.[5]

Member federations

The following international sports federations are members of IWGA.[6][7]

Sport Organisation
Aikido International Aikido Federation
Air sports World Air Sports Federation
Archery World Archery
Billiard sports World Confederation of Billiards Sports
Bodybuilding & Fitness International Federation of BodyBuilding & Fitness
Boules sports Confédération Mondiale des Sports de Boules
Bowling World Bowling
Canoe International Canoe Federation
Casting International Casting Sport Federation
DanceSport World DanceSport Federation
Fistball International Fistball Association
Floorball International Floorball Federation
Flying disc World Flying Disc Federation
Gymnastics International Gymnastics Federation
Handball International Handball Federation
Hockey International Hockey Federation
Ju-Jitsu Ju-Jitsu International Federation
Karate World Karate Federation
Kickboxing World Association of Kickboxing Organizations
Korfball International Korfball Federation
Lacrosse Federation of International Lacrosse
Life saving International Life Saving Federation
Muay Thai International Federation of Muaythai Amateur
Netball International Netball Federation
Orienteering International Orienteering Federation
Powerlifting International Powerlifting Federation
Racquetball International Racquetball Federation
Roller sports Fédération Internationale de Roller Sports
Rugby Union World Rugby
Sambo International Sambo Federation
Softball World Baseball Softball Confederation
Sport Climbing International Federation of Sport Climbing
Squash World Squash Federation
Sumo International Sumo Federation
Surfing International Surfing Association
Tug of War Tug of War International Federation
Underwater sports Confédération Mondiale des Activités Subaquatiques
Water Ski & Wakeboard International Water Ski Federation
Wushu International Wushu Federation

See also

References
  1. "History of IWGA".
  2. "Foundation | IWGA". www.theworldgames.org. Retrieved 2022-06-20.
  3. "The World Games Family Grows". International World games Association. 27 May 2021. Retrieved 2021-06-02.
  4. "General Meeting | IWGA". www.theworldgames.org. Retrieved 2022-06-20.
  5. "Members | IWGA". www.theworldgames.org. Retrieved 2022-06-20.
  6. "IWGA - Members". theworldgames.org. Retrieved 2 May 2018.
  7. "IWGA - The Sports". theworldgames.org. Retrieved 2 May 2018.
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