International School Sport Federation
The International School Sport Federation (ISF) is an international sports governing body for school sport. Founded in 1972 with 21 signatory nations (all European), the federation has been organising international competitions to encourage education through sport and student athletes. It has 113 members from five continents.[2]
 | |
| Abbreviation | ISF |
|---|---|
| Motto | We Are School Sport |
| Formation | 1972 |
| Type | Sport federation |
| Purpose | International School Sport Federation organises sport events for youth athletes of age 13–18. |
| Headquarters | Brussels, Belgium |
Official language | French, English, German, Spanish[1] |
President | Laurent Petrynka |
| Website | www |
ISF is recognised by the International Olympic Committee since 1995 and is a member of SportAccord.[3][4][5] Its headquarters are based in Brussels, Belgium.[6]
ISF limits itself to activities with school children between the ages of 13 to 18 (roughly contiguous with high school age).[2] This distinguishes its role from the longer-established International University Sports Federation, which governs student sport from the ages of 17 to 25.[7][8]
There are currently 45 recognised ISF sports, with many of them having their own World Schools Championship every two years.[9] Other sport disciplines are part of the Gymnasiade, also known as School Summer Games, its winter edition School Winter Games or ISF Combat Games.
The first official ISF championships were in football and volleyball, which both took place in 1972, athletics, basketball, handball and skiing championships followed a year later.
The foremost competition held by the ISF is the Gymnasiade – a biennial multi-sport event first held in 1974 in Wiesbaden, Germany that featured athletics, gymnastics and swimming events.
History
Around the mid 1960s, international sporting contests between schools has been increasing. Besides occasional and haphazard meetings between two or more schools, tournaments were beginning to be organised regularly in different disciplines: in handball from 1963, in volleyball from 1969, in football one year later and from 1971 also in basketball. Each of these annual tournaments produced basic regulations and a standing committee.
The large number of international competitions requiring eliminating heats at the national level soon gave rise to a desire to co-ordinate these events, within a specific International Federation. To help promote this idea, the Federal Minister of Education and Arts of the Republic of Austria convened a Conference at Raach in the Autumn of 1971. Here the conditions were discussed for setting up a European School Sport Federation.
After very lengthy debates, the project was approved. However, bearing future development possibilities in mind, the ISF was not limited to European countries alone. A Provisional Committee, the members of which were chosen from among the 21 nations present, was set up, and the meeting of the constituent General Assembly was fixed for 4 June 1972 at Beaufort/Luxembourg. This meeting adopted the Statutes and proceeded to elect the members of the first Executive Committee.[10]
Vision and Values
Sport can greatly contribute to the physical, social and intellectual development of youngsters. Sport is a prevailing tool for the promotion of mutual understanding, peace and tolerance. The power of sport can break down cultural, religious and ideological barriers, no matter how big.
ISF Structure
ISF General Assembly
The General Assembly brings together ISF’s school sport federation members which meet every two years. In the assembly, members elect Executive Committee members for a four-year period, and approves the budget and the programme proposed by the Executive Committee. The most recent General Assembly was held in May 2016 at Marmaris, Turkey.
ISF Management Committee
It meets periodically when convened by the President, to carry out the business of the ISF between meetings of the Executive Committee. Twice a year, the Management Committee meets with the Continental Presidents. Following is the ISF Management Committee for the term 2016–2020.[11]
| FUNCTION | NAME | COUNTRY |
|---|---|---|
| President | Laurent Petrynka |  France |
| Vice-President | Youssef Belqasmi |  Morocco |
| Robson Aguiar |  Brazil | |
| Xue Yanqing |  China | |
| Secretary General/CEO | Hrvoje Čustonja |  Croatia |
| Sports Director | Josip Košutić | Croatia |
ISF Executive Committee
ISF Executive Committee is composed of 25 members. It meets twice a year to take the decisions necessary for the proper functioning of ISF. Following is the ISF Executive Committee for the term 2016–2020.
| FUNCTION | NAME | COUNTRY |
|---|---|---|
| President | Laurent Petrynka | France |
| Vice-President | Youssef Belqasmi | Morocco |
| Robson Aguiar | Brazil | |
| Xue Yanqing | China | |
| Secretary General/CEO | Hrvoje Čustonja | Croatia |
| President Africa | Mamadou Souleymane Kone |  Ivory Coast |
| President America | Dr. Roger J. Goudy |  United States |
| President Asia | Santi Pawai |  Thailand |
| President Europe | Nicos Megalemos |  Cyprus |
| President Oceania | Graeme Jennings | .svg.png.webp){kind=small} Australia |
| Sports Director | Josip Košutić | Croatia |
| Assessor | Alan Abaev |  Russia |
| Abdulrahman Al-Muftah |  Qatar | |
| Arman Ayvazyan |  Armenia | |
| Ms. Sophie Bordet |  Peru | |
| Ms. Julia Boyanova |  Bulgaria | |
| Guy Dagan |  Israel | |
| Stylianos Daskalakis |  Greece | |
| Roman Greba |  Ukraine | |
| Lauri Luik |  Estonia | |
| Abdoulaye Bamba Mbaye |  Senegal | |
| Rajesh Mishra |  India | |
| David Exovers Ngugi |  Kenya | |
| Nurzhan Nurakhmetov |  Kazakhstan | |
| Zeljko Tanaskovic |  Serbia |
ISF Committees
Committees assist and advise the Executive Committee in the overall administration of the ISF. The Committees include:
| ISF Sport Committee | ISF Development and Cooperation Committee |
| ISF Marketing and Communication Committee | ISF Ethic and Legal Committee |
| ISF Education and Legacy Committee | ISF Athletes and Youth Committee |
Gymnasiade
Gymnasiade is the biggest school sport event for youth athletes aged 15–18. It is being held every two (even) years, hosts between 12-18 different sport disciplines and welcomes over 3000 pupils from all over the World.
ISF School Summer Games
| Edition | Year | City | Country | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1974 | Wiesbaden |  West Germany |
23–28 September |
| 2 | 1976 | Orléans | France |
21–27 June |
| 3 | 1978 | Izmir |  Turkey |
18–24 July |
| 4 | 1980 | Turin |  Italy |
1 - 7 June |
| 5 | 1982 | Lille | France |
1 - 6 June |
| 6 | 1984 | Florence | Italy |
5 - 9 June |
| 7 | 1986 | Nice | France |
2 - 7 June |
| 8 | 1988 | Barcelona |  Spain |
3–9 June |
| 9 | 1990 | Bruges |  Flanders |
20–27 May |
| 10 | 1994 | Nicosia | Cyprus |
14–21 May |
| 11 | 1998 | Shanghai | China |
12 -19 October |
| 12 | 2002 | Caen | France |
27 May - 3 June |
| 13 | 2006 | Athens/Thessaloniki | Greece |
26 June – 3 July |
| 14 | 2009 | Doha | Qatar |
7 – 12 December |
| 15 | 2013 | Brasília | Brazil |
28 November – 4 December |
| 16 | 2016 | Trabzon | Turkey |
11–18 July |
| 17 | 2018 | Marrakech | Morocco |
2–9 May |
| 18 | 2020 | Jinjiang | China |
17–24 October |
Gymnasiade 2018 hosted 18 sport competitions:
ISF Combat Games
- 2017 ISF Combat Games consisted of 4 combat sports: Judo, Karate, Taekwondo and Wrestling.
- In 2017, 300 athletes from 6 countries (India, China, Russia, Brazil, UAE and France) attended the ISF Combat Games.
ISF Combat Games consist of the following sport disciplines:
| Edition | Year | City | Country | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2017 | Agra | India |
7–14 July |
| 2 | 2019 | Budapest |  Hungary |
16–20 June |
From August 22–26, 2018, the first ever World Schools Championships in sambo took place in Oryol, Russian Federation.
Source :[13]
ISF Inclusive Games
ISF Educational Games
ISF World Schools Championships
Around the 1960s international sporting contests between schools were on the increase. Besides occasional and haphazard meetings between two or more schools, tournaments were beginning to be organised regularly in different disciplines: in handball from 1963, in volleyball from 1969, in football from 1970 and from 1971 also in basketball.
Today 21 sports have a separate World Schools Championship (WSC) with 10-12 championships being held per year. Each World Schools Championship usually last from 3–7 days. Yearly, more than 10.0000 pupils from all over the World take part in ISF World Schools Championship. Until 2017, only 21 Sports have a separate World School Championship (WSC). Other sports exist in Games (Summer , Winter or Combat) and havent separate WSC.
| Number | Event | First Edition | Last Edition |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main Sports | |||
| 1 | World School Athletics Championship | 1973 | 24th (2017) |
| 2 | World Schools Cross Country Championship | 1975 | 23rd (2018) |
| 3 | World School Swimming Championship | 1991 | 12th (2017) |
| Combat Sports | |||
| 4 | World School Sambo Championship | 2018 | 1st (2018) |
| Team Sports | |||
| 5 | World School 3x3 Basketball Championship | 2014 | 3rd (2018) |
| 6 | World School Basketball Championship | 1973 | 24th (2017) |
| 7 | World School Beach Volleyball Championship | 2011 | 4th (2017) |
| 8 | World School Cricket Championship | 2018 | 1st (2018) |
| 9 | World School Flying Disc Championship | 2019 | 1st (2019) |
| 10 | World School Football Championships | 1972 | 26th (2017) |
| 11 | World School Futsal Championships | 2007 | 5th (2018) |
| 12 | World School Handball Championship | 1973 | 24th (2018) |
| 13 | World School Volleyball Championship | 1972 | 23rd (2018) |
| Winter Sports | |||
| 14 | World School Alpine Ski Championship | 1973 | 23rd (2016) |
| Other Sports | |||
| 15 | World School Badminton Championship | 1998 | 18th (2018) |
| 16 | World School Orienteering Championship | 1987 | 17th (2017) |
| 17 | World School Sport Climbing Championship | 2019 | 1st (2019) |
| 18 | World School Table Tennis Championship | 1991 | 15th (2018) |
| 19 | World School Tennis Championship | 1995 | 9th (2017) |
| 20 | World School Triathlon Championship | 2013 | 3rd (2017) |
| 21 | World School Chess Championship | 2019 | 1st (2019) |
Source :[14]
Members
| Code | Country | Association |
|---|---|---|
| ALB |  Albania | Albanian School Sport Federation |
| ALG |  Algeria | Federation Algerienne du Sport Scolaire |
| AND |  Andorra | Secretariat d'état aux sports, de la jeunesse et du volontariat |
| ARG |  Argentina | |
| ARM | Armenia | Federation Sportive Republicaine Des Ecoliers |
| AUT |  Austria | Bundesministerium für Bildung und Frauen |
| AUS | Australia | School Sport Australia |
| AZE |  Azerbaijan | Ministry of Youth and Sport |
| BLR |  Belarus | Republican Center of Physical Education and Sports for Pupils and Students |
| BAN |  Bangladesh | |
| BEN |  Benin | Ministerio de Deportes |
| BOL |  Bolivia | Ministerio de Deportes |
| BOT |  Botswana | Botswana Integrated Sport Association |
| BRA | Brazil | Confederação Brasileira do Desporto Escolar |
| BUL | Bulgaria | Bulgarian Association Sport for Students |
| BUR |  Burkina Faso | |
| CMR |  Cameroon | Federation Nationale des Sports Scolaire |
| CPV |  Cape Verde | Coordenação Nacional de Educação Física e Desporto Escolar |
| CHI |  Chile | Club Deportivo Universidad Catica de Chile |
| CHN | People's Republic of China | C.S.S.F. – China School Sport Federation |
| TPE |  Chinese Taipei | Chinese Taipei School Sport Federation |
| COL |  Colombia | Coldeportes |
| COM |  Comoros | Coordination de Nationale I'Education et Sport Scolaire |
| COD |  Democratic Republic of the Congo | |
| CRO | Croatia | Croatian School Sport Federation |
| CYP | Cyprus | Ministry of Education and Culture |
| CZE |  Czech Republic | Czech school sports clubs association |
| DEN |  Denmark | Danish Schoolsport Association |
| DOM |  Dominican Republic | Instituto Nacional de Educacion Fisica |
| DGB |  Eastern Belgium | Ministerium der Deutschsprachigen Gemeinschaft / Fachbereich Sport |
| ENG |  England | National Council for School Sports |
| GEQ |  Equatorial Guinea | |
| EST | Estonia | Estonian School Sport Union |
| FIN |  Finland | Finnish School Sport Federation |
| FLA | Flemish Community | Stichting Vlaamse Schoolsport |
| FRA | France | Union Nationale du Sport Scolaire |
| CFB |  French Community of Belgium | |
| PYF |  French Polynesia | USSP - Union du Sport Scholaire Polynesien |
| GAB |  Gabon | |
| GAM |  Gambia | The University of The Gambia Sports |
| GEO |  Georgia | Children and Youth Sports National Federation of Georgia |
| GER | Germany | Kommission Sport der KMK der Länder |
| GHA |  Ghana | |
| GRE | Greece | Directorate of Physical Education |
| GUA |  Guatemala | Direccion General de Educatición Fisica |
| GUI |  Guinea | |
| HAI |  Haiti | HSSF - Haitian School Sport Federation |
| HKG |  Hong Kong, China | Hong Kong Schools Sports Federation |
| HUN | Hungary | Hungarian School Sport Federation |
| IND | India | School Games Federation of India |
| IRI |  Islamic Republic of Iran | Iran School Sport Federation |
| ISR | Israel | Ministry of education, culture and sports |
| IRL |  Ireland | Irish School Sport Federation |
| ITA | Italy | Ministero dell Instruzione dell universita e della Ricerca |
| CIV | Ivory Coast | Office Ivoirien des Sports Scolaires et Universitaires |
| JAM |  Jamaica | |
| KAZ | Kazakhstan | Kazakhstan School Sport Federation |
| KEN | Kenya | Kazakhstan School Sport Federation |
| KOS |  Kosovo | School Sport Federation of the Republic of Kosovo |
| KUW |  Kuwait | Ministry of Education, Kuwait |
| LAT |  Latvia | Latvian School Sport Federation |
| LBN |  Lebanon | Ministry of Education and Higher Education |
| LIE |  Liechtenstein | Liechtensteinische landesverwaltung |
| LIT |  Lithuania | |
| LUX |  Luxembourg | Ligue des Associations Sportive Estudiantines Lux |
| MKD |  Macedonia | Macedonian Schools Sports Federation |
| MAD |  Madagascar | Fédération Omnisports scolaire Madagascar |
| MLI |  Mali | |
| MLT |  Malta | Malta School Sport Federation |
| MRI |  Mauritania | |
| MGL |  Mongolia | |
| MNE |  Montenegro | Association Montenegrine du Sport Scolaire |
| MAR | Morocco | Federation Royale Marocaine du Sport Scolaire |
| NEP |  Nepal | |
| NED |  Netherlands | Koninklijke Vereniging van Leraren Lichamelịke Opvoeding |
| NZL |  New Zealand | New Zealand Secondary School Sports Council |
| NCA |  Nicaragua | Instituto Nicaraguense de Deportes |
| NIG |  Niger | |
| NGA |  Nigeria | Nigerian School Sport Federation |
| NOR |  Norway | Landslaget Fysisk Fostring i Scolen |
| OMA |  Oman | |
| PAK |  Pakistan | PSSF - Pakistan Schools Sports Federation |
| PAR |  Paraguay | Secretaria Nacional de Deportes |
| PER | Peru | Asociacion Peruana De Deporte Escolar |
| POL |  Poland | Szkolny Zwiazek Sportowy |
| POR |  Portugal | Gabinete Coordenador Desporto Escolar |
| PUR |  Puerto Rico | Propulsores del Deporte |
| ROU |  Romania | Scholar and University Sports Federation |
| QAT | Qatar | Qatar Sport School Federation |
| RSR |  Republic of Srpska | Ministry for Family, Youth and Sport |
| ROU | Romania | Ministry Of Education And Research / Scholar And University Sports Federation |
| RUS | Russia | Russian Socio - State Society of Physical Training |
| STP |  São Tomé and Principe | |
| KSA |  Saudi Arabia | Ministry of Education |
| SCO |  Scotland | Scottish SchoolSport Federation |
| SEN | Senegal | Comité National de Gestion et de Relance du Sport Scolaire (CNG/RSS) - Sénégal |
| SRB | Serbia | School Sports and Olympic Education Federation of Serbia |
| SIN |  Singapore | Singapore School Sport Council |
| SLO |  Slovenia | Zavod za sport RS Planica |
| SVK |  Slovakia | Slovak School Sport Association |
| RSA |  South Africa | South African Sports Confederation |
| ESP | Spain | Ministerio de Educacion y Ciencia |
| SRI |  Sri Lanka | Schools Sports Council |
| SUR |  Suriname | Ministry of School and Youth Affairs |
| SWE |  Sweden | Svenska Skolidrottsförbundet |
| SUI |  Switzerland | Schweizerischer Verband fur Sport in der Schule |
| TAN |  Tanzania | |
| TUN |  Tunisia | Federation Tunisienne des Sports Scolaires et Universiateires |
| TUR | Turkey | Turkiye Okul Sporlary Federasyonu |
| THA | Thailand | Ministry of Tourism and Sports |
| UAE |  United Arab Emirates | UAE Interschool Sports Association |
| UGA |  Uganda | |
| UKR | Ukraine | School Sport Federation of Ukraine |
| USA | United States | Amateur Athletic Union of the United States of America |
References
- Charter Archived 2014-04-13 at the Wayback Machine. ISF. Retrieved on 2014-04-01.
- Reaching new heights of development; 108 members from all over the world. ISF. Retrieved on 2018-07-12.
- About ISF Archived 2014-07-29 at the Wayback Machine. ISF. Retrieved on 2014-04-01.
- Organisations recognised by the International Olympic Committee. Olympic.org. Retrieved on 2014-04-01.
- Members Archived 2013-07-27 at the Wayback Machine. SportAccord. Retrieved on 2014-04-01.
- Contact Archived 2014-04-07 at the Wayback Machine. ISF. Retrieved on 2018-07-12.
- FISU Today. FISU. Retrieved on 2014-04-01.
- Li, Ming et al. "International School Sport", pgs. 291–2. International Sport Management (2012). Human Kinetics. ISBN 978-0-7360-8273-0.
- . ISF. Retrieved on 2018-07-12.
- "History of ISF". ISF official website. Archived from the original on 2016-07-06.
- "Governance". www.isfsports.org. Retrieved April 6, 2020.
- "Schools Winter Games". February 2017.
- "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2018-09-29. Retrieved 2017-07-25.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
- "World Schools Championship". 20 January 2017.