International Go Federation facts for kids
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| Formation | March 18, 1982 |
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| Type | Sports federation |
| Headquarters | Tokyo, Japan |
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Membership
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List of Go organizations |
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Official language
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English |
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President
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Zhenming Chang |
The International Go Federation (IGF) is a group that brings together all the different national Go clubs and organizations from around the world. Think of it like a big team for the game of Go! Its main goal is to help Go grow and be played by more people everywhere.
Contents
What the IGF Does
The IGF works to make the game of Go popular everywhere. It also helps create friendly connections between all its member countries. Here are some of the things the IGF does:
- It organizes big events like the World Amateur Go Championship and other international Go tournaments.
- It shares the latest news about Go activities around the world. This information is sent to members through newsletters or on the IGF website.
- It supports other projects that help Go grow internationally.
Rules and Values
The IGF is a group that focuses only on the game of Go. It doesn't get involved in politics or religion. The federation always tries to encourage fair play among all Go players.
A Quick History of the IGF
The idea for the IGF started in Japan. In 1979, the Nihon Ki-in (Japan Go Association) held the very first World Amateur Go Championship. Many top Go players and leaders from national Go groups came to this event.
Because it was such a big success, the International Go Federation was officially created on March 18, 1982. It started with 29 founding members, and Shizuo Asada was its first president.
Later, on April 7, 2006, the IGF joined a larger group called the General Association of International Sports Federations (GAISF). The IGF is also one of the groups that helped start the IMSA (International Mind Sports Association).
The IGF continues to organize the World Amateur Go Championship every year. This tournament brings together players from over 65 countries!
Go Tournaments Organized or Supported by IGF
The IGF is involved with many exciting Go tournaments. These events bring players from all over the world together to compete. Some of the well-known tournaments include:
- List of professional Go tournaments
- World Amateur Go Championship
- International Amateur Pair Go Championship
- International Amateur Baduk Championship
- World Youth Go Championship
- European Go Championship
- European Pair Go Championship
- Asian Go Championship
- Pan American Go Championship
- Ibero American Go Championship
Who Are the Members?
As of December 2017, the IGF has 77 member nations. These are countries that have their own Go organizations and are part of the IGF.
- 39 members are in Europe.
- 18 members are in Asia.
- 15 members are in the Americas.
- 3 members are in Africa.
- 2 members are in Oceania.
In 2023, the 77 member nations included:
- 39 in Europe: ARM, AUT, AZE, BLR, BEL, BIH, BUL, CRO, CYP, CZE, DEN, FIN, FRA, GEO, GER, HUN, ISL, IRL, ISR, ITA, KAZ, LAT, LTU, LUX, NED, NOR, POL, POR, ROU, RUS, SRB, SVK, SLO, ESP, SWE, SUI, TUR, UKR, GBR
- 18 in Asia: BRU, CHN, TPE, HKG, IND, INA, IRI, JPN, MAC, MAS, MGL, NEP, PRK, PHI, SIN, KOR, THA, VIE
- 15 in Americas: ARG, BRA, CAN, CHI, COL, CRC, CUB, ECU, GUA, MEX, PAN, PER, URU, USA, VEN
- 3 in Africa: MAD, MAR, RSA
- 2 in Oceania: AUS, NZL
The IGF also has five "Association Members." These are larger groups that cover multiple countries or have a special focus. They include:
- World Pair Go Association
- Federación Iberoamericana de Go
- European Go Federation
- Ing Changk Wei-Chi Education Foundation
- Asian Go Federation
Leaders of the IGF
The IGF has had several important leaders over the years. Here are some of the past presidents:
- Shizuo Asada, a professional Go player and the first president of the IGF, from 1982 to 1997.
- Fumio Watanabe, from 1997 to 2001.
- Matsuo Toshimitsu, from 2001 to 2004.
- Masao Kato, a professional 9-dan Go player, from 2004 to 2005.
- Norio Kudo, also a professional 9-dan Go player, from 2005 to 2007.
- Hiromu Okabe, who was the Chairman of the Board of Directors for the Nihon Ki-in, from 2007 to 2009.
- Otake Hideo, who was also Chairman of the Board of Directors for the Nihon Ki-in, from 2009 to 2010.
- Chang Zhenming, who was Vice-chairman and President of CITIC Group, from 2010 to 2012.
- Koichiro Matsuura, who was President of the World Pair Go Association and a former Director General of UNESCO, from 2012 to 2014.
- Seokhyun Hong, who was Chairman of the Korea Baduk Association, from 2014 to 2016.
- Chang Zhenming, who became President of CITIC Group again, from June 4, 2016, to the present.
See also
