About the International Dwarf Athletic Federation (IDAF)
IDAF BOARD OF DIRECTORSChairperson: Arthur Dean, Great Britain ABOUT IDAFIDAF, the worldwide governing body for dwarf sports, exists to: (a) encourage international sporting competition amongst dwarf athletes; (b) represent the needs of dwarf athletes amongst other international sporting organizations; (c) set and maintain standard rules for sports used in international competition; (d) establish eligibility and profiling rules for participating athletes; and (e) support a World Games every four years. At their first official national games in 1986, the Dwarf Athletic Association of America (DAAA) sent an open invitation to athletes with dwarfism around the world. Athletes from Canada, El Salvador, Mexico, and Sweden accepted the invitation, and the need for an international dwarf sports presence began to emerge. With growing international interest, DAAA hosted the first World Dwarf Games in Chicago, Illinois, USA, in 1993. Ten nations and 165 athletes participated in seven sports. Before the 1993 World Dwarf Games ended, representatives from all 10 countries came together to form IDAF. The new federation would be governed by a steering committee, made up of representatives from four countries that would establish bylaws and a charter, as well as enable countries to prepare for national and international competition in the future. IDAF was chartered as an organization just two years later (1995) in the United Kingdom. |
