8 June 2005 - IOC Recognized Sports Confident that Olympic Program will Change

The Council of the Association of IOC Recognized International Sports Federations (ARISF) today confirmed their support for planned changes in the Olympic Program. ARISF fully supports the work done by the Olympic Programme Commission and the decisions taken by the IOC Executive Board to make a fair comparison between those sports that are currently on the program and the five Recognized Sports that have been short-listed for inclusion in the 2012 Olympic Games. The short-listed sports are: golf, karate, roller skating, rugby, and squash.

The ARISF Council considers that the decisions to be taken in the IOC session in Singapore are of historic importance to the whole world of sport as well as to the IOC and the Olympic Games, since any changes in the Olympic Programme according to these new procedures would allow the Games to evolve side-by-side with the actual participation figures and public appeal of different sports throughout the world.

ARISF therefore regrets the position taken up by the Olympic Summer Sports Federations united under ASOIF, who yesterday reconfirmed their opposition to any changes in the 2012 Olympic Program. ARISF considers that the IOC and its Executive Board have responsibility for the entire world of sport united in the Olympic Family, and therefore supports the IOC in the steps it has taken so far.