International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Thomas Bach speaks during an IOC executive board meeting where the issue of Russian athletes will be discussed, in Lausanne, on March 28, 2023. (Photo: AFP)

LAUSANNE, May 31 (Xinhua) -- Thomas Bach, president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), addressed the General Assembly of the Association of Summer Olympic International Federations (ASOIF) on Wednesday, marking the organization's 40th anniversary.

"The growth of ASOIF reflects this evolution towards ever more professionalisation of sports and sports event organisation," Bach said. "In today's complex environment, the IFs (International Federations) are essential to finding innovative solutions to continuously modernise sport, and in this way contribute to the success of the Olympic Games. This importance of the IFs in Olympic Games planning is explicitly recognised and highlighted in Olympic Agenda 2020 and Olympic Agenda 2020+5."

The 47th edition of the ASOIF General Assembly approved Full Memberships for three International Federations (IFs): the International Federation of Sport Climbing, the International Surfing Association, and World Skate. Additionally, the assembly admitted the World Baseball Softball Confederation as an Associate Member.

Ingmar De Vos (International Equestrian Federation), Petra Sorling (International Table Tennis Federation), and Morinari Watanabe (International Gymnastics Federation) were elected as Council members for a four-year term. Both De Vos and Watanabe were re-elected for a second term, while Sorling succeeds Marisol Casado (World Triathlon), who has completed her final term.

ASOIF members also greenlit the Paris 2024 Olympic Games International Federation (IF) revenue share scheme. The final total figure will be determined by the IOC following the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

ASOIF President Francesco Ricci Bitti acknowledged, "The political situation is complex, and obviously we can't anticipate exactly how things will evolve leading up to the Opening Ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. It's crucial to keep different options open."

The Paris 2024 Organising Committee, headed by President Tony Estanguet, also participated in the General Assembly. The Dakar 2026 Youth Olympics, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), and the International Testing Agency (ITA) presented reports to the General Assembly.