APSO becomes associate member of GAISF

The General Assembly of the Global Association of International Sports Federations (GAISF) welcomed the Association of Paralympic Sports Organisations (APSO) as an associate member of their umbrella organisation. The vote was conducted on 10 November during the annual meeting of the GAISF membership, which was held virtually due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

“For APSO to be brought into the GAISF fold as an associate member today is a great step forward and really means a lot to us,” said Sabrina Ibáñez, President of APSO and Secretary General of the International Equestrian Federation (FEI). “APSO was established to provide a collective voice for those Paralympic sports governed independently from the IPC, and to have this formal recognition from GAISF offers even more opportunities for that voice to be heard, not just in the Paralympic movement, but in the sports movement as a whole. We already work closely together within APSO to discuss best practice on governance and integrity, and being a GAISF associate member now means we have access to an even greater pool of expertise so that, together, we can serve our athletes and the Paralympic community in the best way possible.”

“GAISF is delighted to welcome the Association of Paralympic Sports Organisations as a member of our diverse family of sports and those who support them,” said GAISF President Raffaele Chiulli. “Parasport continues to develop at great pace, to fulfil the twin visions of wider access to sport and wider provision for differently abled groups within our societies. GAISF looks forward to supporting even further progress in the years to come.”

About APSO

APSO, the Association of Paralympic Sports Organisations, was created in 2017 and is made up of 17 International Federations and sports organisations which govern their Paralympic sports. Its mission is to protect and promote the interests of their sports and athletes within the Paralympic movement. The need for an umbrella association comes from the rapid development of Paralympic sport where in some cases it has been integrated within the relevant International Federation and/or sports organisation whilst in others, the sports remain governed entirely by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC). Learn more here.

About GAISF

GAISF is an umbrella body composed of autonomous and independent International Sports Federations and other international sport and event related organisations. Founded in 1967, GAISF is a key pillar of the wider sports movement and acts as the voice for its 125 Members, Associate Members and observers, which include both Olympic and non-Olympic sports organisations. Learn more here.