At last year’s UIPM Congress delegates voted by 69 to 11 to modify the UIPM’s statutes, a move that enabled obstacle discipline to be added as an option that could potentially be included as part of modern pentathlon going forward.

Modern pentathlon is absent from the current list of sports for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games, with obstacle racing among the disciplines being considered by the UIPM as a replacement for the riding element.

The MoU was signed on the sidelines of the ongoing UIPM Pentathlon and Laser Run World Championships, which are being held in Bath in England.

UIPM President Dr Klaus Schormann said: "The signing of this MoU is a big step for the future of our union.  

"We want to bring a different challenge to the Olympic Movement, to be more urban and provide something that young generations will love - and we could see it already in our UIPM U19 and U17 World Championships, with the Junior World Championships still to come in September.

"We can see how young athletes are looking forward to participate in the exciting new combination of sports in the modern pentathlon."

World Obstacle President Ian Adamson added: "The signing of an MoU between World Obstacle and World Pentathlon is important because it’s a mark of collaboration, and working together is way more powerful than working apart.

"We are bringing our sports together, uniting the Olympic Movement with the mass participation, broadcast and viewers - all of that creates a very powerful collaboration."

The UIPM’s vote to add obstacle racing to the available disciplines at last year’s Congress has proved a controversial one, with athlete groups claiming there had been a lack of consultation over the move.

Pentathlon United member Kate Allenby told insidethegames the closer collaboration between UIPM and World Obstacle raised concerns, because of World Obstacle's financial situation.

"World Obstacle has no commercial income and it’s accounts show it is largely funded by Ian Adamson," Allenby said.

"With the UIPM in such a precarious financial position, where is the money going to come from?

"Why is our sport taking on another International Federation with no commercial income?"

The minutes of last year's World Obstacle Congress and General Assembly note that all money advanced by Adamson that accrue since its founding "will be reimbursed at such a time as World Obstacle is financially able."

This is as per a resolution approved by the World Obstacle Central Board in 2015.

"The UIPM talks about all the commercial possibilities but in the 10 years since World Obstacle came into existence, it has generated none," Allenby said. 

"It feels like the final betrayal of the athletes.

"When that merger document emerged last year, UIPM told everyone it wasn’t happening and yet here we are.

"The athletes have had no say in this, no involvement in these discussions, no one has asked them if they want this.

"If members of the Athletes Commission knew about this, then they have failed in their duty to consult with their members once again."

Obstacle racing made its debut in global youth competition at last month’s UIPM Under-17 World Championships in Alexandria in Egypt.

The UIPM claimed the competition was a success and that they received positive feedback from athletes, although athlete pressure group Pentathlon United criticised a delay to the men’s race and injuries to athletes.

Last month the UIPM and World Obstacle jointly organised a Ninja World Cup in the United States.   

A final decision on the sport’s inclusion at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics is due to be taken at the International Olympic Committee Session, set to be held in Mumbai in India from October 15 to 17.

insidethegames contacted the UIPM for a comment, however the UIPM did not wish to respond.