IFBB Professional League
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| Sport | Bodybuilding and Fitness |
|---|---|
| Category | Sports governing body |
| Jurisdiction | International |
| Abbreviation | IFBB |
| Founded | 1946 |
| Headquarters | Calle Dublín, nº 39 28232 Europolis Las Rozas Madrid, Spain |
| President | Dr Rafael Santonja |
| Vice president | Jim Manion (North America) Albert Busek (Europe) Javier Pollock (Caribbean) Aquiles De Cesare (South America) Paul Graham (South Pacific Oceania) Dr. Eng. Adel Fahim El Sayed (Africa) Malih Alaywan (Middle East) Sheikh Abdullah Al Khalifa (Asia) |
| Director | Pamela Kagan |
| Secretary | William Tierney |
| Official website | |
| www |
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The International Federation of BodyBuilding and Fitness (IFBB), headquartered in Madrid, is an international professional sports governing body for bodybuilding and fitness that oversees many of the sport's major international events, notably the World and Continental Championships.
In 1946, the IFBB was founded by brothers Ben and Joe Weider in Montreal, Canada under the name "International Federation of Bodybuilders". The two founding countries were Canada and the United States. Mr. Ben Weider of Canada served as the first IFBB President. In 1967 the IFBB Mr. Olympia was held, which was the IFBB's first contest. From 1966 to 1970, the Federation experienced rapid growth as Joe and Ben Weider promoted the organization globally. By 1970, the IFBB had directors in more than 50 countries worldwide and the IFBB had its footprint in Africa, Asia, Europe, Australia, North America, and South America.
On September 4, 1970, the IFBB held its 1st International Congress in Belgrade, Yugoslavia where a Constitution was adopted and an Executive Council. In 1971, the IFBB became a member of the General Association of International Sports Federations (GAISF), now SportAccord. Upon receiving membership, the IFBB became the only official representative of bodybuilding to be recognized by world sport authorities. From the 1980s to his death in 2008, IFBB president Ben Weider petitioned the IOC for inclusion of bodybuilding in the Olympic Games. Although bodybuilding had never been on the Olympic Program, in 1998, the IOC granted the IFBB provisional recognition, which lasted nearly four years, but was withdrawn in 2001.
In 2004, the IFBB was renamed the International Federation of Bodybuilding and Fitness, and maintained the "IFBB" abbreviation. The following year, the IFBB adopted new IFBB Anti-Doping Rules following the World Anti-Doping Code. The IFBB Professional Section was legally split from the IFBB to form the IFBB Professional League, its own legal entity with its own rules and regulations. In turn, the IFBB Constitution became a governing document for the amateur sport only. In 2006, after 60 years, Ben Weider resigned from his role as president and Dr. Rafael Santonja from Spain was elected as the new president. The IFBB headquarters were moved to Madrid, Spain. In 2010, Santonja was reelected for a second term, and in 2014, he was reelected for a third time at the IFBB World Congress in Brasilia.
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