FIFA Acquires .sport Domain Name -- Federation Focus

(ATR) World football’s governing body, FIFA, is the latest federation to acquire a .sport domain name portfolio.

FIFA is one of the biggest and most influential IF’s in sport and is a feather in the cap for the program operated and managed by the Global Association of International Sports Federations (GAISF).

"FIFA’s decision is a massive boost and a testament to the positive impact of a .sport URL," GAISF Head of Digital Pierre Germeau said in a statement.

"It underlines that this is the global community every sports organisation want to be part of."

In addition, the Lausanne 2020 Youth Olympic Winter Games has become the latest major sports events organizer to officially migrate to a .sport domain.

"Our new .sport website will make our event easy to follow for fans from all around the world as well as highlighting the importance of the Youth Olympic Games and its place in world sport,"Lausanne 2020 Director General Ian Logan said.

More than 200 organizations have registered for a domain since GAISF officially began taking applications in September, including both FIFA and the IAAF.

Applications are still open for all leading sports organizations to register their exclusive domain name. Prospective applicants can find out more information and check the availability of their requested URL at start.sport.

De Vos Wins Second Term as FEI President

Ingmar De Vos will serve another term as FEI president after he was re-elected at the international equestrian federation’s General Assembly in Manama, Bahrain.

Running unopposed, the 55-year-old Belgian received unanimous support on Tuesday for a second four-year term from delegates representing the FEI’s 133 National Federations.

He pledged to build on the success of his first term in office, telling the delegates in his acceptance speech "Together – and this is the key word – together we can and we will continue to develop our sport and to attract new athletes, new fans and new sponsors."

It is the first time since 2002 that there has been an uncontested election for the FEI’s top role. De Vos is the 13th FEI President since the federation was founded in 1921, and only the fourth to become an IOC member.

De Vos, who was elected as an IOC member in September 2017, was appointed earlier this month to replace the late Patrick Baumann on both the Global Association of International Sports Federations (GAISF) Council and as the GAISF representative on the 12-member World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Executive Committee.

Canoe Federation Holds Congress This Week

The annual International Canoe Federation Congress is in Budapest on Friday and Saturday.

A review of plans for Tokyo 2020 as well as Paris 2024 for all the disciplines of the sport is on the schedule. Some changes in governance are being proposed to bring the federation into line with ASOIF best practices.

No elections are on the agenda for the federation headed by José Perurena, IOC member in Spain.

AIBA Dealing With Political Dispute in India

The AIBA Women’s Boxing World Championships are underway through Saturday in New Delhi, the second time for the event in India.

More than 270 boxers from 61 countries started out November 14 in the tournament at the Indira Gandhi Sport Complex in the KD Jadhav Indoor Stadium. The venue is India’s biggest sports facility and was a centerpiece of the 2010 Commonwealth Games.

Outside the ring, international politics has interfered with the tournament. Due to India’s failure to recognize Kosovo, the sole entrant from that country was not permitted to receive a visa.

"The Kosovo issue did not get resolved and as a result AIBA will have to reopen the 2021 Men’s World Championships bids which were to be held in India. There must be a divide between sports and politics," AIBA technical delegate Pat Fiacco tells Around the Rings.

Newly elected AIBA president Gafur Rakhimov was on hand for the opening ceremony and first day of competition. He will return to New Delhi for the final bouts.

Finalists Revealed for IAAF Athlete of the Year Awards

The IAAF announced the finalists for Athlete of the Year this week.

The athletics federation revealed that sprinters Dina Asher-Smith (GBR) and Shaunae Miller-Uibo (BAH), world steeplechase record holder Beatrice Chepkoech (KEN), Caterine Ibarguen (COL), IAAF Diamond League champion in both the long jump and triple jump, and heptathlete and high jumper Nafissatou Thiam (BEL) were the women’s finalists.

The men’s finalists are sprinter Christian Coleman (USA), pole vaulter Armand Duplantis (SWE), marathoner Eliud Kipchoge (KEN), heptathlete/ decathlete Kevin Mayer (FRA) and hurdler Abderrahman Samba (QAT).

The winners will be revealed live on stage at the IAAF Athletics Awards gala on December 4 in Monaco.

Written by Gerard Farekand Ed Hula

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