ASOIF General Assembly rescheduled following cancellation of 2022 SportAccord Summit

The Association of Summer Olympic International Federations (ASOIF) will hold its general assembly in Lausanne on June 8. The umbrella body for summer international sports federations was forced to reschedule its general assembly following the cancellation of the 2022 SportAccord Summit.

The ASOIF General Assembly was originally scheduled to be held during the 2022 SportAccord Summit in Ekaterinburg. However, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the consequences that followed forced the umbrella body to move its general assembly from Ekaterinburg to Lausanne.

Nonetheless, there will be a fair bit of business on the agenda for member federations at the rescheduled general assembly. Discussions surrounding amendments to the ASOIF statutes and preparations for the 2024 Summer Olympic Games are expected to headline the agenda for the general assembly.

In announcing its decision to reschedule the general assembly, the ASOIF Council condemned the Russian invasion of Ukraine, voicing their support for the population and sporting community of Ukraine.

ASOIF President Francesco Ricci Bitti stated, “What’s happening in Ukraine right now is heartbreaking. It goes totally against our values - against the Olympic values. We are thinking of the many affected people, young and old, in these extremely difficult and troubling times. Let’s all do our utmost to advocate and stand together for peace.”

His call for peace reflects similar calls made by the heads of other major organizations within the Olympic movement. International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach has repeatedly called for world leaders to “give peace a chance,” while International Paralympic Committee (IPC) President Andrew Parsons used his latest speech to remind world leaders that “the 21st Century is a time for dialogue and diplomacy, not war and hate.”

The cancellation of the 2022 SportAccord Summit and subsequent rescheduling of the ASOIF General Assembly represent the continuing fallout of the Russian invasion of Ukraine within the international sports community.