Who Controls Parkour

Parkour Earth was officially established yesterday as the ongoing row with the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) continues.

Eugene Minogue, Parkour UK’s chief executive, has been nominated and appointed as transitional chief executive on an ex-officio basis.

It was he who initially accused the FIG of “encroachment and misappropriation” of parkour and lodged a complaint with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in June.

Organisations in a number of other countries have also protested at FIG’s involvement in the sport by writing to the Federation’s President Morinari Watanabe.

FIG have responded to the allegations of “encroachment and misappropriation” of parkour, claiming this was never their intention.

A deadline to reach a Memorandum of Understanding between all parties elapsed on July 26, with Minogue promising they would “take all necessary and appropriate steps to protect the integrity and sovereignty of the sport of parkour/freerunning, our sport, our community”.

In what appears to relate directly to that vow, Parkour Earth was launched.

“As a result of a clear and demonstrable common unity and purpose within the international community, a number of National Federations reached an accord on July 4, 2017 to establish Parkour Earth as the International Federation for parkour/freerunning/Art Du Déplacement – our sport, our community, our culture, our identity,” a Parkour Earth statement read yesterday.

Just 24 hours after the launch of Parkour Earth, however, the IPF stated they are the only body to currently have an application with the Global Association of International Sports Federations (GAISF) for official recognition pending.

Source
Inside The Games
See also Green Circle Member, Brisbane Parkour Association