ISSF Calls Extraordinary General Assembly to Discuss Innovative Olympic Program Proposal

Munich (GER), 25 May 2017 - The International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) has called an Extraordinary General Assembly (EGA) on 25 June 2017 to further explain and discuss the ISSF’s proposed, innovative amendments to its Olympic Programme that will greatly enhance the future of the sport. The EGA will take place at the Hilton Park Hotel in Munich, Germany, starting from 13.00.

As part of Olympic Agenda 2020, the IOC called on all International Federations to evaluate their Olympic Programmes with a particular focus on gender equality and mixed-gender events. The ISSF has proposed replacing three male-only events (50m Rifle Prone, 50m Pistol and Double Trap) with three mixed-gender team events (10m Air Rifle, 10m Air Pistol and Trap) to achieve gender equality and improve relevance to modern audiences. The IOC’s Rio 2016 report had showed that 50m Rifle Prone, 50m Pistol and Double Trap Men were among the least popular Shooting Sport events at the Games for viewers. The IOC retains ultimate control over the sports programme for the Olympic Games and will decide whether to implement the proposed changes; however, the ISSF strongly believes that these changes will provide new excitement and represent what is best for the long-term future of the sport.

The proposed changes were the outcome of an extensive and collaborative two-year study carried out by a specially commissioned Ad Hoc Committee. The Committee received input from all ISSF Sections Committees and studied data from Rio 2016. The Committee published their initial findings on the ISSF website in November 2016 for further input from all stakeholders before presenting its final, consolidated recommendations which were unanimously approved by the ISSF Executive Committee and Administrative Council in February 2017.

The ISSF has since received more than 25 confirmed requests from its Member Federations to host an EGA and in full compliance with the ISSF Constitution and the universal principles of good governance the ISSF consequently called an EGA. The ISSF is fully prepared to further discuss the merits of its suggested changes to the Olympic Programme for the Shooting Sport in an open and transparent forum. It was requested by the Member Federations that the EGA take place before 8 July and so, based on the ISSF Constitution rules that an EGA must be called with at least two months’ notice and in order to secure a venue big enough and provide all the logistical services related to hosting the meeting, 25 June was agreed upon.

ISSF President Olegario Vázquez Raña said:

"At the ISSF we are 100% committed to operating under the principles of good governance and transparency and so were very willing to call an Extraordinary General Assembly once we had received a sufficient number of requests. It is very important that every Member Federation has a voice in our future and we are always ready to listen."

"We strongly believe that our proposal to the IOC represents what is best for our global sport. Even as one of the most historic Olympic sports, we have to constantly look to improve. We engaged in an extensive two-year study, during which all ISSF stakeholders had the opportunity to contribute, and concluded that replacing three male-only events with three mixed-gender team events would make our sport more appealing to a wider audience. We have already received a great deal of support from our athletes and coaches for the proposed changes. Change is never easy, but as we communicate the benefits more widely at the EGA, and increase awareness and understanding, we are confident that this support will grow even further."

***

Media Contact

ISSF Press Office: marco@issf-sports.org

25 Years at #1: Your best source of news about the Olympics is www.aroundtherings.com, for subscribers only