International Sambo Federation (FIAS) President Vasiliy Shestakov has sent a letter to SportAccord counterpart Marius Vizer, in which he states that the existing conflict between SportAccord and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has led to the decision being made.

The conflict stems from last month’s SportAccord Convention in Sochi, where Vizer launched an attack on the IOC and its President Thomas Bach, alleging the body "lacked transparency", that its Agenda 2020 reform process had brought "hardly any benefit" to sport and that it had unfairly blocked SportAccord in its drive to organise new Commissions and events.

“Cooperation and unity, rather than controversies and conflicts, should prevail in sports,” said Shestakov.

“The International Sambo Federation supports unanimity and mutual understanding and hopes that a meaningful dialogue between SportAccord and International Olympic Committee (IOC) will help to settle all disagreements in the near future and the conflict will be over.”

FIAS’ decision appears a particularly damaging blow to Vizer given sambo’s strong ties with Russia, with the martial art having been developed for the Soviet Union's military and police force in the 1930s.

It would seemingly cast further doubt over the next three editions of the SportAccord Convention, which are scheduled to take place in the Eastern European country; returning to Sochi next year before moving to Moscow in 2017 and Saint Petersburg in 2018.

Rumours have already surfaced that Russia has withdrawn its hosting rights in response to Vizer's words, with the world's largest country thought to not want to jeopardize its relationship with the IOC and its ultimate aim to host the Summer Olympics. 

Sochi is also scheduled to host the first edition of the World Beach Games, in either 2017 or 2019.

Earlier this month, Sergey Eliseev, head of the European Sambo Federation, warned the existing rift between the SportAccord and IOC Presidents, could delay sambo’s attempts to gain IOC recognition.

Shestakov claimed in September that sambo could be recognised as early as this year but Eliseev believes the ambition of sambo, and that of other sports, to take the coveted step could be put on hold.

Interestingly, FIAS signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the International Judo Federation (IJF), which is headed by Vizer, on the final day of the World Judo Championships in Chelyabinsk last August.

The initial one-year agreement was hailed by sambo as another important step in its bid to be recognised by the IOC and, ultimately, win a place on the Olympic Games programme.

"We belong to the same family and share the same values," declared Vizer at the time.

"I wish that sambo would become more and more independent sport.

"I wish sambo to achieve recognition of the International Olympic Committee.

"We hope that our cooperation will help sambo reach this status."

International Racquetball Federation (IRF) President Osvaldo Maggi has also sent a letter to Vizer confirming the suspension of racquetball’s membership.

“Based upon the controversy created by your personal positions versus the IOC the International Racquetball Federation respectfully suspends its membership in SportAccord until this situation is resolved between you and the IOC,” it read.  

“We do not believe that the positions that you have stated represent the views of the IRF or the majority of the International Federations who are members of SportAccord.

“The IRF has been a loyal member of SportAccord and its original Organisation GAISF [General Association of International Sports Federations] since 1982 and finds this action necessary under the events that are unfolding.

“The IRF applauds the IOC’s and President Thomas Bach’s 2020 reforms which have changed the landscape of sport for the International Federations in a positive way.

“We trust that this serious issue will soon be resolved in a positive manner in the near future.”

Sambo and racquetball join fellow non-Olympic sports karate, korfball, orienteering, motor racing and surfing in suspending their SportAccord membership, while 22 Olympic sports have taken the same action.

Every Summer Olympic sport body except for the IJF signed a letter supporting the decision of the Association of Summer Olympic International Sports Federations (ASOIF) to "disassociate" its affiliation with SportAccord in the wake of Vizer’s outburst, while both the International Paralympic Committee and the Commonwealth Games Federation made a similar move.

This week has also seen both the Association of International Olympic Winter Sports Federations and Association of IOC Recognised International Sports Federations (ARISF) suspending their ties.


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