International School Sport Federation moves headquarters to Lausanne

The International School Sport Federation (ISF) has moved its headquarters from Brussels, Belgium, to Lausanne, Switzerland, the world school sports governing body announced on Tuesday.

The ISF held its first Executive Committee meeting of 2024 in the presence of International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach at the Olympic House in Lausanne, marking a significant milestone in the history of the ISF.

Founded in 1972, the ISF had a unanimous agreement of the 108 members at the last Extraordinary General Meeting to move the headquarters to the Olympic city, Lausanne. It provides school children aged 13-18 worldwide with extended education through sport and encourages a healthy lifestyle that serves as a foundation for physical and mental health.

"This move is a strategic step in the ISF's pursuit of its objective to develop strong partnerships with nearly 60 international sports federations, which also call Lausanne, the Olympic Capital, their home; among these, the ISF has already established 25 strong partnerships. The goal is to increase sport participation worldwide and elevate school sports onto a global stage," read an ISF statement.

"As youth face increasing uncertainties, we believe in the crucial role of sports in instilling lifelong positive values in children. With over 1 billion young people within our reach, we recognize our responsibility to shape the leaders of tomorrow. As part of this mission, we have relocated to Lausanne, the international center of sports, to strengthen our collaboration with key players in the international sports world," said ISF President Laurent Petrynka.

(With input from Xinhua)

(Cover: File photo of Olympic rings. /CFP)