Billiard Sports Seek Paris Inclusion -- Federations Focus

(ATR) Snooker federation leaders believe the sport could feature in the Paris 2024 Olympic Program.

World Snooker Federation secretary general Maxime Cassis said the federation would work with French organizers to have multiple cue sports in the 2024 Games, Reuters reported. Cassis said the three sports "have to work together" and "listen to the people who select [the program]" while bidding.

Snooker last attempted to get on the 2020 Olympic Program. The sport was not selected in Tokyo as part of a package of five additional sports. Cassis says the final plan to attempt Olympic inclusion is not finalized and could include one or all three sports vying for Paris.

"We hope that, with the support of the French (cue sports) federation and the French Olympic Committee, we’ll find a way to bring billiard sports to the Olympics," Cassis said to Reuters.

"Our dream is to reach the Olympics; this is a big dream of every snooker player. Everybody will gain from it."

IOC, GAISF Sign Memorandum of Understanding

The International Olympic Committee and the Global Association of International Sports Federations (GAISF) sign a memorandum of understanding to strengthen their partnership.

The MoU was signed by IOC President Thomas Bach and GAISF President Patrick Baumann ahead of the start of the IF Forum in Lausanne on Wednesday.

The new agreement provides a stable and sustainable framework for strengthened cooperation between the two organizations while clarifying the roles and responsibilities of both bodies in relation to support for IFs and the organization of multi-sport events, according to a release.

The partnership is designed to align the membership of the GAISF with IOC IF recognition criteria, and will enable both bodies to provide increased services to non-Olympic IFs.

The GAISF will also transfer its Doping Free Sport Unit (DFSU) to the newly created Independent Testing authority (ITA), strengthening the global anti-doping system.

As part of the MoU, the GAISF will continue to develop and organize multi-sport games, giving a platform to try out new events not on the Olympic Program while also allowing for increased opportunities for IOC-recognized IFs.

"This MoU is an important milestone in our relations with GAISF," IOC President Thomas Bach said, "It provides an excellent foundation on which we can strengthen our relationship even more and is another expression of the unity in diversity of the Olympic Movement."

Later in the day, Bach gave opening remarks ahead of Baumann's opening address as the 11th IF Forum kicked off. The three-day event features sessions and workshops focusing on IOC sustainability strategy.

Trampoline Gymnastics World Championships Begin Thursday

The 32nd Trampoline Gymnastics World Championships begin Thursday at the Arena Armeec in Sofia, Bulgaria.

The four-day event will feature 290 athletes representing 34 countries competing in trampoline, double mini-trampoline and tumbling. Fourteen world titles are up for grabs.

The three men’s trampoline Olympic medalists from Rio 2016 – Uladzislau Hancharou of Belarus and China’s Dong Dong and Gao Lei – will be competing in Sofia.

"At the Rio Olympic Games, the breathtaking spectacle of the Trampoline competitions was enthusiastically received by the public and we hope to continue to build on this success with these World Championships," said International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) President Morinari Watanabe in a statement. "At the same time, the other disciplines also generated interest during The World Games in Wroclaw."

Wheelchair Fencing World Championships Underway in Rome

The Wheelchair Fencing World Championships began Monday in Rome.

More than 140 athletes, including Paralympians and previous World Championship winners, are competing in the event at the Convention Center of the Hilton Rome Airport Hotel.

"1960 was the last time an international wheelchair fencing event was held in Rome so it is a great time to return to this ancient city," said Pal Szekeres, the Wheelchair Fencing chairman of the International Wheelchair and Amputee Sports Federation, in a statement.

"Italy is a leading nation in both fencing and wheelchair fencing, and the Italian Fencing Federation have made huge strides in the development of our sport."

ISSF Approves Quotas to Achieve Gender Equality

Shooting will achieve full gender equality at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics under new approved quotas.

The federation was allocated 360 athlete places for the Tokyo games, which will be split evenly among men and women. There will be six men’s and six women’s events along with three mixed team events.

Quota places were one of a number of decisions taken by the International Shooting Sport Federation this week according to a release. The board voted to reorganize the yearly shooting sport calendar, mixed team competitions rules, 2018 ISSF Shotgun World Cup hosting, and more.

"I feel very happy that this meeting was working in favor of shooting sport," Olegario Vázquez Raña, ISSF President, said in a statement. "We are moving forward some important steps, ensuring gender equality, rationalizing our championships program, and responding to our stakeholders, in order to strengthen the shooting sport family."

The ISSF World Cup will now be held every two years, as part of a broader reorganization. The move was made to prevent the event from conflicting with the Olympic Games or the ISSF World Championships, the federation said. All changes will be voted on at the ISSF General Assembly in November 2018.

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Written by Gerard Farekand Aaron Bauer

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