It has been an exciting year for WFDF and all flying disc sports. A
huge milestone was achieved when WFDF received Recognition by
the International Olympic Committee on May 31 during the
SportAccord Convention in St. Petersburg. In its release, the IOC
“noted that the WFDF is a rapidly growing Federation with
tremendous youth appeal, a strong grounding in Olympic ideals,
gender equality and good governance, including WADA compliance.”
Of course, this does not mean that we are a part of the Olympic
Games, as there are many further requirements for such consideration,
such as having 75 Member countries. We should think about it as
being on the “bench” of the Olympics Sports Program, one of 34
members of the Association of IOC Recognised International Sports
Federations (ARISF). We are in a position to have an ongoing
dialogue with the IOC staff and we are provided certain financial
resources from the IOC. We gain credibility in the world of sports
businesses, educators, and governmental authorities, and the visibility
of WFDF and flying disc sports is raised with potential sponsors and
broadcast media. We have greater access to learn directly from the
most organized global sports. In return, we are challenged to fulfill
the additional requirements of the IOC and to get better at what we do.