Federation International of Powerchair Football Associations
FIPFA is an independent federation composed of National Organisations governing Powerchair Football in their separate countries. Its mission is the practice, development, coordination and support of Powerchair Football in countries all over the world. It has the responsibility to take charge of the sport at the competition level and put promotional actions in place.
|
|
|
|
|
FIPFA Promotional video: |
FIPFA World Cup 2007: |
History of Powerchair Football:
1978:
France creates “Football in electric wheelchairs” for young people with severe disabilities.
1979:
Without having any contact with France, Canada starts to develop a sport called “Power Soccer”. Since the beginning of the eighties, “Power Soccer” was exported to the United States and Japan, while “Wheelchair Football” was being played in Belgium, in Portugal and in Switzerland.
1980-2005:
During these 25 years several styles of play developed, without the various countries ever discussing it. All were insspired by the Canadian and French models and each adapted their play to meet their own requirements.
January 2005:
Representatives of the United States, Canada, Japan, England and Portugal, met in Paris to discuss the possibility of making the sport international. A date was set to try and harmonise the four main styles of the game, in order to create a new international discipline.
October 2005:
The six countries, joined by Denmark and Belgium, met in Portugal, finalised the international rulebook, and officially created Powerchair Football.The nine months that followed were spent writing the new sporting rules and finalising Articles in order to create the international federation.
July 2006:
In Atlanta, Georgia, USA, the new sporting rules were tested and validated. The Articles of the new federation were adoppted at the General Assembly on July 24, 2006. On October 16th of the same year, the International Federation of Powerrchair Football Association
filed its Articles in Paris, France, the home of its registered office.
October 2007:
FIPFA organised its first World Cup in Tokyo, Japan. Eight countries competed to win the first international commpetition of Powerchair Football. Broadcast live on the Internet, a Japanese website indicated the competition was visited by several thousand players and supporters all over the world!
More information can be found at www.fipfa.org
