PUBLIC STATEMENT

FROM THE INTERNATIONAL POLE SPORTS FEDERATION (IPSF)

STATEMENT OF FACTS REGARDING THE POLE SPORTS AND ARTS WORLD FEDERATION (POSA)

Every organisation is governed by its own moral values and its internal code of ethics.  The IPSF has always strongly believed that direct dialogue is the most effective way to address any direct or indirect attempts to harm its efforts and/or its name.  The members of this Organisation believe that the time has come for the IPSF to take a stance to ensure that the pole community is provided with all the facts so that each and every member can form their own opinion, based on these facts.

For this reason - and this reason only - the IPSF is issuing a public statement regarding the insinuations and statements made by the Pole Sports and Arts World Federation - POSA and its national federations, to clarify any misunderstandings or misinterpretations that may lead to the community being misled.

Historical information:

• January 2016 - Davide Lacagnina leaves the IPSF. Facts of that departure are here
   
• April 2016 - Davide Lacagnina informs the public that he will be establishing a separate federation called IPSAF – a name strikingly similar to that of the IPSF, using the copyrighted IPSF Code of Points, and using the competition title of the ‘World Pole Sports Championship’, a title that had been used by the IPSF for 6 years. The pole community, media, and the general public become confused by the use of the World Pole Sports Championships title and, importantly, by the similarities between the trademarked name of IPSF and the IPSAF name, with the result that the pole community begins confusing the two organisations.
   
• August 2016 – the IPSF applies to the International Olympic Committee
   
• September 2016 – IPSF becomes a WADA signatory
   
• November 2016 – After attempts to amicably resolve the brand confusion, the IPSF issues IPSAF with a Cease and Desist letter, requiring IPSAF to change its name in order to stop the confusion between the two organisations, to cease using the IPSF copyrighted code of points, and to change the name of the IPSAF world championships. After this initial legal step, IPSAF stops using the IPSF Code of Points.
   
• July 2017 – Action continues in order to stop the use of the names ‘IPSAF’ and ‘WPSC’ results in IPSAF being renamed POSA, and a change in name of POSA’s world championship.
   
• October 2017 - The IPSF is awarded GAISF Observer Status.
   
• Febuary 2018 - POSA federation, US Pole Sports Federation (USPSF) announce recognition as the governing body of Pole in the USA by the USA Sports Council. The USA Sports Council, by their own admission, is in no way related to any authority with regard to the US National Government, US Olympic Committee, GAISF or WADA. Therefore it cannot issue an organisation with Governing Body status. The IPSF US representaive and governing body o Pole is The American Pole League
   

Current situation and clarification:

• In order to be a recognised governing body of any sport, an organisation must implement good governance of the sport and be acknowledged by a recognised international sporting authority (i.e., GAISF, IOC, WADA). GAISF, the Global Association of International Sports Federations, is the organisation under which all recognised sports fall. GAISF will recognise only one international federation of any sport. The IPSF was awarded GAISF Observer Status on 4 October 2017 and is engaged in the ongoing process towards full recognition by the GAISF. 
   
• October 2017 – POSA announces that they taking part in WADA testing through the World Heavy Events Association (WHEA) and lists the WADA logo on its website. In the USA, POSA national federation USPSF, led by Summer Vyne (vice president of POSA), states that IPSAF/POSA is Code Compliant. Neither POSA nor WHEA can be found in any of the WADA signatory lists.  WHEA clearly states on its website that it does not have WADA International federation status and is still working towards this. 
   
• October 2017 – POSA announces that it has signed a historical agreement with CSIT, an organisation recognised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and GAISF. Both the IOC and GAISF have two types of recognition. The first is International Federation (IF) recognition as a governing body; and the second is affiliate organisations recognition for events, equipment, facilities and the promotion of sport. CSIT is one such organisation - it holds events that encourage sport among amateur sports people; it is not recognised as a governing body and has no governing status over the sports it embraces. Therefore, POSA has no recognition by any official international sporting authority.  
   

It has always been the goal of the IPSF to obtain full recognition for pole sports, and to eventually secure its inclusion in the Olympic Games. POSA states a similar goal, but as demonstrated above, POSA is not in a position to achieve this goal. The IPSF is a WADA signatory, has applied to the IOC, has gained GAISF Observer Status, and is in the process of working towards full GAISF recognition.
 

The IPSF believes that any attempt to mislead the pole community will only divide it, instead of uniting it.  It is our sincerest hope that, following the above statement (including all relevant supporting links), all pole organisations, present and future, will ensure that they employ good governance, fairness and transparency and that all federations can coexist for the advancement of pole, its athletes, and its community.

31^st January 2018

International Pole Sports Federations Committee