The International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) is seriously concerned about the recent dissemination by the European Shooting Confederation (ESC), of an article published on the outlet Inside The Games regarding Article 6.12.5.2 of the ISSF General Technical Rules and the ISSF Academy licensing system, which initially included various factual inaccuracies.
Following the sale of Inside the Games in 2023 and again in 2024 to Dubai-registered ITG Media DMCC the platform reportedly was not granted accreditation for the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics (see https://www.rfi.fr/en/sports/20240618-olympics-news-website-insidethegames-says-banned-from-paris-2024).
The IOC has confirmed to the ISSF that the outlet was neither granted accreditation for the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics nor for the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics.
ISSF believes that institutional positions and the discussions among the stakeholders should be made through official institutional channels and not via content produced by a media outlet which appears not to be in good standing with the IOC.
Under Article 1.24.6.2 of the ISSF Constitution, Continental Confederations are required to maintain good relations and cooperate with the ISSF. This is a structural obligation.
Publicly contesting decisions duly adopted by the competent ISSF bodies risks institutional fragmentation, reputational damage, and confusion among athletes and Member Federations — particularly as the Olympic qualification period is about to begin, when there is a need for regulatory certainty.
Regarding the allegations made in the disseminated article from Inside the Games targeting the ISSF coaching licensing system and the ISSF Academy the ISSF wishes to clarify and emphasize the following:
Fact 1: The ISSF owns and controls the licensing system.
The ISSF defines the criteria, grants the licenses, and is the sole financial beneficiary of all licensing fees. All such revenues accrue exclusively to the ISSF.
Fact 2: The ISSF Academy does not profit from licensing.
If a licensing component is included in a course fee, that portion is transferred in full to the ISSF. The Academy retains no component of the licensing fee.
The ISSF Academy is an educational delivery structure. It is not funded by the ISSF operational budget and is financed solely through course fees, which cover platform development, instructors, personnel, and operational costs. The Academy Director serves on a voluntary, unpaid basis.
Fact 3: National systems remain fully intact.
The ISSF Academy does not replace national coaching structures. National federations remain responsible for their own education systems. The Academy provides an additional international pathway — alongside, not instead of, national programs.
Fact 4: Evolution of latest amendments to ISSF Technical Rules
The ISSF Rules 2026 were discussed, edited and updated by way of an extensive revision process that was conducted over a period of nearly one year in 2025 and in which the Discipline Committees, Technical Committee and Athlete Committee were not only involved but were substantially in charge of the discussion and the subsequent proposals for amendment. Therefore, any and all amendments to the ISSF Rules 2026 that were submitted for approval by the ISSF Council originated from and/or were made in consultation with the Discipline Committees, Technical Committee and Athlete Committee. In these Committees the ISSF Member Federations are substantially represented.
Given these issues, the ISSF has requested:
- An urgent institutional meeting with the full ESC Presidium; and
- Immediate invitation for the ISSF to attend ESC Presidium meetings in a consultative capacity when ISSF regulations, governance matters, licensing systems, or ISSF-recognized competitions are discussed.
These measures are necessary to safeguard regulatory coherence and institutional integrity within the Olympic shooting sport system.
The ISSF values dialogue and unity, but ongoing public disputes on issues under its authority, especially those based on misinformation, damage the image of shooting sport globally and undermine good governance.