The XVI Plenary Assembly of the International Federation of Sport Climbing (IFSC) opened today with a video message from International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach. In his message, the IOC President congratulated the IFSC and its delegates for overcoming the challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and their ability to organise a virtual congress. “We have seen over the past weeks and months that whether in sport or in life, we are always stronger together. This is why we are happy to have such reliable partners, like the IFSC, at our side,” Bach told the more than 60 National Federations gathered virtually for the annual congress.
IOC President Thomas Bach addressed the National Federations that attended the XVI IFSC Plenary Assembly
The XVI Plenary Assembly was originally scheduled to be held in Limassol (CYP) on March 13 and 14 but was moved online as a result of the pandemic. A Plenary Assembly in writing took place on May 29 — also in the form of a teleconference — for the approval of the 2019 audit and financial reports, and 2020 budget. IFSC WELCOMES SIX NEW MEMBER FEDERATIONS The Assembly ratified the Executive Board decision to include six new Member Federations into the IFSC. The Federation welcomed two continental members — Sport Climbing Fiji (SCF) and the Uganda Sport Climbing Federation (USCF) — and four full members:
Malta Sport for All (MSFA);
Mauritius Sport Climbing Federation (MSCF);
Nepal Climbing Sport Association (NCSA);
Saudi Climbing and Hiking Federation (SACHF).
The International Federation of Sport Climbing is the international governing body of Sport Climbing. It was founded on January 27, 2007 as a continuation of the International Council for Competition Climbing, which was founded 10 years earlier, in 1997. As a non-profit organisation, the objectives of the IFSC are the direction, regulation, promotion and development of Sport Climbing competitions all around the world.
Sport Climbing will make its Olympic debut at Tokyo 2020, and it's been provisionally included in the programme of Paris 2024. In 2018, two medal events in Sport Climbing were contested at the Buenos Aires 2018 Youth Olympic Games.