Jurisdiction | International |
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Abbreviation | IMSC/CISM |
Founded | 18 February 1948 |
Headquarters | Brussels, Belgium |
President | Colonel Abdul Hakeem Al Shino (Bahrain) |
Official website | |
cism-milsport |
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Motto: Friendship through Sport |
The International Military Sports Council (IMSC) or Conseil International du Sport Militaire (CISM), established 1948, is one of the largest multidisciplinary organisations in the world. CISM is the second largest multi-sport discipline organization after the International Olympic Committee, holding more than 20 competitions annually. Soldiers, who may previously have met on the battlefield, now meet on the sports playing field. It organises various sporting events, including the Military World Games and World Military Championships for the armed forces of 134 member countries. The aim of CISM is to promote sport activity and physical education between armed forces as a means to foster world peace. The motto of CISM is "Friendship through Sport" and is based on three pillars of sport, education and solidarity. This is in accordance with the philosophy and the ideals which were set in CISM’s mission statement in 1998, signed by all the member countries.
The current elected President of CISM is Navy Commander Abdul Hakeem Al-Shino of Bahrain and the General Secretariat is located in Brussels, Belgium under the management of the Secretary General, Colonel Mamby Koita of Guinea.
The first Interallied Games were held in Joinville, Paris, France with 1500 athletes competing in 24 sports representing 18 nations in 1919. The second Interallied Games were held in Berlin, Germany in 1946.
The Allied Forces Sports Council was set up on May 1946 by Colonel Debrus and Major Mollet. The Allied Forces Sports Council was extinguished in 1947.
CISM was founded on 18 February 1948 by Colonel Debrus and Major Mollet with Belgium, Denmark, France, Luxembourg and the Netherlands as its first five members. In 1950, Argentina and Egypt became members. In 1951, the United States joined. In 1952, Iraq, Lebanon, Pakistan and Syria became members. During the Cold War, member nations of the Warsaw Pact joined the rival Socialist Allied Armies Sports Committee (SKDA) rather than CISM (SKDA later merged with CISM during the 90's). In 1954, Brazil joined CISM, and has subsequently participated in sport championships, hosted events, it is the main the 2011 Military World Games, officially known as the 5th CISM Military World Games, was hosted from 15–24 July 2011 in Rio de Janeiro, and been involved in the leadership of CISM through attending high level working groups, sport committees, commissions, and activities, to membership on the Board of Directors and as Vice President for the Americas. In 1985, Canada joined CISM. In 1991-1995, after the fall of the Berlin Wall 31 new member countries joined CISM. This rapid progress led to recognition by international institutions as the IOC. Prior to 1995, CISM organized fifteen to twenty world championship per year. Since 1995, CISM has organized every four years the Military World Games, a multi-sport event.