GAISF President Ivo Ferriani has today revealed that two Extraordinary General Assemblies will take place on November 29 to vote on the abolition of the organisation ©GAISF

An Extraordinary General Assembly to abolish the Global Association of International Sports Federations (GAISF) has been officially called for next month, and is due to be followed immediately afterwards by another meeting to distribute the assets, insidethegames can exclusively reveal.

GAISF President Ivo Ferriani sent out a letter earlier today calling the meetings, at the SwissTech Convention Center in Lausanne on November 29, which will almost certainly mark the end of the only umbrella organisation for the international sports federations, bringing to an end its 55-year existence.

"GAISF Council confirms the proposal to submit to the approval of the Extraordinary General Assembly the motion to dissolve and liquidate GAISF in parallel to the contemplated restructuring of SportAccord," he wrote.

"Should the EGA I approve the dissolution of GAISF, a second Extraordinary General Assembly (‘EGA II’) will immediately follow to address the consequences of the dissolution (winding-up and related actions)."

Under the plans, members of GAISF would be given more of a stake in SportAccord, a commercial organisation, which as well as organising the annual SportAccord World Sport and Business Summit, plans to stage a series of multi-sport games over the next few years.

GAISF's assets will be distributed among several different parties following the dissolution, including SportAccord ©GAISF
GAISF's assets will be distributed among several different parties following the dissolution, including SportAccord ©GAISF

GAISF, founded in 1967, has 95 full members made up of international sports federations and 20 associate member organisations which conduct activities closely related to the international sports federations.

A plan has already been drawn up of how GAISF's assets will be distributed "after deduction of all debts and liabilities."

Multi-sport games involving Olympic International Federations will pass to SportAccord.

The Association of IOC Recognised International Sports Federations (ARISF) and Alliance of Independent recognised Members of Sport (AIMS) will be the beneficiaries of multi-sport games involving non-Olympic International Federations.

According to the GAISF website, they organise three events - the World Combat Games, due to be held in Riyadh next year, and the World Urban Games and World Mind Games.

The World Urban Games made its debut at Budapest in 2019 but no details have been announced about the next edition.

The World Mind Games were held for the first time at Beijing in 2008 and then again at Lille in 2012.

A third edition of the event was due to take place in Rio de Janeiro in 2016, but was cancelled with no subsequent events planned.

GAISF currently organises three multi-sport games but some, like the World Urban Games, happen infrequently ©GAISF
GAISF currently organises three multi-sport games but some, like the World Urban Games, happen infrequently ©GAISF

"Contract and related intangible assets and liabilities pertaining to other projects performed by GAISF (‘sport initiative’, ‘www.sustainability.sport’, ‘Sustainability Award’, ‘Good Governance’, ‘GDPR’, ‘IPACS’, ‘EPAS’)," will benefit SportAccord.

Of the remaining assets, 40 per cent will be given to the Association of Summer Olympic International Federations (ASOIF), with 20 per cent each going to the Association of International Olympic Winter Sports Federations (AIOWF), ARISF and AIMS.

ASOIF, AIOWF, ARISF and AIMS are all due to host their own Extraordinary General Assemblies before the GAISF one to give their approval to the controversial plans.