An earlier post “Sports
Organizations and Structures” presented an outline on the governance
structures in global sports. Sports might be local or regional or national or
global but what makes them a formal move towards being recognised as sports is
a structure that underpins their governance. As the earlier post pointed out,
the governance of international sports is carried out by an organization that
is made of national bodies. While there are organizations that do not have a
national character, they are usually not part of the mainstream. The only
exception seems to be World Triathlon Corporation that organizes the IronMan
races. They are signatories to Anti Doping Code and they have their own well
recognized tour and circuit. Their relationship with the International
Triathlon Union has been of blowing hot and cold. In the recent times, the reinvention
of GAISF following the aftermath of the Vizier years, the stepping stone to
global recognition and thus a possible inclusion in the Olympics has been the membership
of GAISF. This membership is sought by many organizations as they seek funding
and inclusion in their own national bodies. Yet the membership criteria and the
pathway remains a sort of puzzle.
While there were
views of being arbitrary or opaque, in recent years there were attempts to
streamline in and bring in the concept of observership. The applications were
to be given the status of observers at GAISF which then would be a stepping stone
or a hand-holding journey towards a full membership. Within a short time, it managed
to have quite a few observers though only two sports Arm-Wrestling and Teqball
have managed to progress to full membership. Incidentally, arm-wrestling had a
long history, teqball is a fairly recent sport. In fact, the journey of teqball
from its inception in the early part of the current decade to graduating into
full membership of global sports body is an interesting event that needs to be
decoded at some point of time. It remains to be observed whether it was the political
lobbying or there existed a genuine interest in the sport that catapulted it to
the top. In fact, there are many sports with rich and diverse history that are
languishing to get the membership. While some might like lawn bowls have an
independent identity in the Commonwealth Games and thus can be away from GAISF,
many others are not so fortunate.
Consider an
interesting question. Parkour has attracted a lot of attention and there is a
clamour for it to emerge as a formal sport. There are no doubt serious
differences in the parkour community whether it should consider it as a sport
or evolve into a competitive activity or remain as a non-competitive recreation
as it exists to many today. While there are rival bodies which have been
seeking membership of GAISF, they have found a hurdle in the international
gymnastics federation (FIG). Meanwhile, FIG itself has come out with its
parkour events, something trialled in the recent World Urban Games. FIG remains
opposed to parkour as a separate entity with ostensible reason of appropriating
it, something akin to International Skiing Federation appropriating snow-boarding
some years back. Yet, FIG did not have serious objections to pole-sports
(Sports version of pole-dancing- once associated with eroticism) while did
oppose at some length to cheer-leading. Cheer leading and pole sports and in
fact even baton twirling and majorette have found themselves at the receiving end
of international dance sports federation. While competitive cheer navigated it
relatively successfully others are yet to. The reasons seem easier to decipher.
It is about the possible inclusion in the Olympics. Cheer might get a shot at
2028 but unlikely to gymnastics in the long run while it does pose a threat to
dance sports which interestingly is debuting in 2024 through breaking- a form
it has appropriated from the others. What FIG would fear is parkour trying to
threaten gymnastics rather than cheer or pole-sports. The latter is unlikely to
make a cut to the Olympics anytime in the near future but it does pose some
threat to dance-sports. Therefore, dance-sports might not want to share the
limelight with pole or for that matter baton-twirling.
There is another
celebrated case with mixed martial arts (MMA). In recent times, MMA has perhaps
achieved the distinction of most popular combat sport and attracts huge
televised audiences. In fact, professional boxing, a big draw in the earlier
years is giving way to MMA. MMA has high aspirations of being part of the
Olympics and they seek to be a member of GAISF. Yet, every stage finds them
being rejected. They have applied numerous occasions yet the strong backlash
from the existing martial sports bodies in the federation have ensured their
application being rejected. It is believed that the European Judo Federation is
behind their rejections. There has been talk of approaching Council of
Arbitration of Sport but nevertheless, it has not proceeded with full speed. The
answer to this objection lies in the nature of competition. To many sports like
judo or taekwondo, Olympics is the ultimate pinnacle. Minus the Olympics, they
are unlikely to survive. The entry of MMA precisely threatens their existence. To
judo, taekwondo, or even aspirants like wushu, MMA would end their hopes of
being a star Olympics sports. MMA can survive without Olympics but not possible
for other sports. Hence in their existential battle, they keep posting hurdles
at every stage. The rules of membership for GAISF give a virtual veto power to
the existing members. This comes in handy to tackle emergent popular sports
like MMA. In fact even lesser known sports like rafting or practical shooting
have to overcome serious hurdles to get an entry as observers. Another instance
is of rugby league which has faced serious opposition from rugby union, its
rival which has grown in miles over the century since they split apart.
As one examines these
cases, it is evident that the degree of threat the existing members perceive determine
their stand against the entry of any prospective new members. In most
instances, the existing members would not allow a competitor from making an
entry. That holds good for any activity in this world. Yet, the organizing
structure of sports has evolved such a way that first mover advantage is
considerable at every stage. Unless something radical happens, the struggle for
newer versions is going to be difficult.
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