International Governing Body
Formed For Amputee Soccer

7 Nation Congress Forms
International Amputee Football Federation

Moscow, Russia - 8 Dec. 1998 - Delegates from seven national disability sports organizations met in Moscow during the first week of December to form an international governing body for amputee football (soccer). The new organization will be known the International Amputee Football Federation (IAFF).

Amputee Soccer has been played on the national and international level since 1980 but has operated till this time on a "gentleman's agreement" for rules and competitions.

International Officers Named

Georgi Lunacharski
Russia
President, Russian Football Federation
First IAFF President

David Maisuradze
Republic of Georgia
President, Disabled Person's Federation
VP, Public Relations

Thomas Feller, USA
VP, Sports Science & Sports Medicine
Jim Frere, UK
Dir., British Amputee and Les Autres Sports Assn.
VP, Development

Richard Hofmann, USA
Executive Director, American Amputee
Soccer Assn.
Deputy VP, Development
But since the sport had no official governing body, and was not recognized or affiliated with ISOD (International Sport Organization for the Disabled) or FIFA (Federation Internationale de Football Association), championship matches were not sanctioned or officially recognized.

The first Constituent Congress of Amputee football changed all that.

"One of our key objectives," said ISOD (International Sport Organization for the Disabled) and UK delegate James Frere, "was to establish a set of operating principles which will appropriately serve our sport, and which will lead to official recognition of our game and our championships."

Frere added that amputee football's Congress in Moscow was a very positive step in the sport's goal of becoming a full Paralympic Sport.

In addition to approving the formation of the ruling body, delegates also tentatively approved organization bylaws and elected its leadership.

International Championships Set

In addition to establishing the infrastructure for international amputee soccer, the Congress set championship tournaments for 1999 and for 2000.

The 1999 Championships are set for Kiev, Ukraine, beginning August 3, 1999.

The year 2000 will be the 20th Anniversary of amputee soccer. The world Cup is scheduled to be held in Seattle, Washington, the game's birthplace, also in August.

Delegations

Delegates attending the Moscow Convention included Brazil, Georgia, Russia, Uzbeckistan, Ukraine, the United States, and the United Kingdom. Future international conventions are expected to include Canada, El Salvador, Germany, Iran, and Uganda.

== www.ampsoccer.org ==