The CSIT – International Workers and Amateurs in Sports Confederation (also known as International Labor and Amateur Sports Confederation) (French: CSIT - Confédération Sportive Internationale Travailliste et Amateur; CSIT) is an international multi-sports organization. It was established as the successor to the Socialist Workers' Sport International and, as such, celebrated its centenary in 2013. The core principles of contributing to physical activity and sports have stayed in its action policy; upholding the right of men and women to do sports no matter what their professionalism levels are. The key concept of CSIT's sports policy has always been "Sports for all." The policy stems from the historical ideas of the international worker sport movement.
International Workers and Amateurs in Sports Confederation has been recognized by the IOC since 1986 and a member of GAISF since 1973.
The main activities of CSIT consist of organizing major and small sports events for amateurs, specifically the CSIT World Sports Games and CSIT Single Championship. Sports events are considered festivals of friendship and cultural exchange, with events promoting awareness of tolerance, respect, unity, sustainability, and fair play in a sporting environment.
Within the world of international sport, it maintains its support for everyone to benefit from sporting activities regardless of their qualifications, talent, nationality, age, sex, and social background.
Base History
International Socialist Association for Physical Education (ASIEP), 1913–1914.
L'Internationale sportive de Lucerne, 1920-1939 (rename to Socialist Workers' Sports International in 1928).
International Labour Sports Confederation 1946
Recognized in 1973 and 1986 by AGFIS and IOC.
2011 rename to International Labor and Amateur Sports Confederation (CSITA) for amateurism purpose.
The first Workers' Sports International was created on 10 May 1913 in Ghent, Belgium, under the name of the International Socialist Association for Physical Education (ASIEP). It brought together workers' sports organisations from France, England and Belgium before also welcoming the Federation of Workers' Gymnasts of Germany, the largest organisation of its kind on a global scale. Like all international organisations of the workers' movement, its history was marked by the wars of the 20th century. ASIEP was re-established in Lucerne, Switzerland on 14 September 1920. Commonly called the Lucerne Sports International, in 1928 it adopted the official name of the Socialist Workers' Sports International1. The latter disappeared after the outbreak of the Second World War. Its successor was the International Labour Sports Committee, established in Brussels, Belgium on 30 May 1946, which would become the International Labour Sports Confederation2.
In 1973 this association joined SportAccord (ex-AGFIS) and was recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) on October 31, 1986. From the following year the general assembly became annual and turned into a congress every two years. In 2011 the Rio de Janeiro congress3 decided to engage the CSIT in the defense and promotion of amateurism and its name became the International Labor and Amateur Sports Confederation (CSITA).
It celebrated its centenary in Brussels and Ghent in Belgium in 20134. On this occasion it was decided that the congress would henceforth be annual.
Games History
Before the Second World War, the CSIT organized the Workers' Olympics every 6 years in 1925, 1931 and 1937. If the CSIT then organized major championships by discipline, it was not until 2008 that the CSIT World Sports Games were reestablished in Rimini and organized every two years since. The 2012 edition was postponed by one year so that these games could take place in odd years and thus avoid competing with the Olympic Games every 4 years6. In 1936, it was also the exceptional initiator of the Popular Olympics in Barcelona organized as a counterpoint to the Berlin Olympic Games.
The main fields of the CSIT activities are as follows:
International Amateur Sports Championships (CSIT World Sports Games) The CSIT World Sports Games are the primary activity of the International Amateur Sports Championships. These events are not designed for professional athletes, but for workers and amateur sports enthusiasts from various countries and cultures worldwide. The goal is not only to organize a sports competition but also to foster lifelong friendships, intercultural exchange, and unity in sports by bringing together sports enthusiasts as a global family.
CSIT Single Championships In addition to the World Sports Games, CSIT organizes individual sports championships across the globe in disciplines such as beach volleyball, swimming, chess, tennis, and more. Sports for All Activities
Sports for Elderly People (Seniors 55+) CSIT also aims to organize events for elderly participants, providing them with opportunities to engage in specific sports and physical activities. These events promote the exchange of training programs and knowledge, as well as cultural, tourism, and lifestyle exchanges between countries.
Sports for Disabled People Starting with the 2021 World Sports Games in Cervia, CSIT intends to include sports for disabled athletes, initially for demonstration and promotion. The strategy involves integrating athletes with and without disabilities into teams, thereby promoting inclusion, unity, and tolerance in sports. This pilot project will feature sports such as futsal, basketball, and volleyball.
YOUAca – Preparatory works for Youth Academy of Grassroots Sport. Currently, in sport organization at grassroots level, there are more adults and seniors than young people, who usually don't have the real opportunity to improve their skills in order to build their path into the sport's sector. From the other side, since there is a lack of young people sport organizations at the club level, at national level, but also at the European level, the policymakers are getting older and decision making becomes more bureaucratic. In order to improve the situation, the partnership of 4 National sports organizations coordinated by CSIT intends to put into place preparatory works for starting up the Academy of Grassroots Sport for Young Leaders. Currently, the YOUAca project is running on its second edition (YOUAca 2.0.) with 5 nations participating: Italy (AICS), Spain (UCEC), Croatia (Health Life Academy), Finland (TUL), Estonia (Kalev). In its third edition YOUAca is planned to be renamed to YOU.Lead.
Bridges - building integration and solidarity between "old" and "new" citizens (local inhabitants and immigrants from different countries). The main aim is to create inclusive local communities and enhance solidarity. This communication should create and foster a positive perception of migration (instead of existing "immigrants invasion" theory) and intercultural dialogue. The duration of the project is from January 2019 until June 2021 with Austria, Greece, Croatia, Italy and Spain participating.
Relevant activities and experiences
The achievement of the following aims is the most important task of the CSIT:
to bring together workers and amateur sports organizations of the entire world and to promote the foundation of new organizations,
to co-operate with international organizations with the same goals and values,
to support member organizations with their tasks and activities in all the fields of sport and physical culture, also through agreements with international organizations and authorities,
to promote all activities that aim to improve the practice of sports by human beings of two sexes considering their age and their physical aptitudes in order to protect and improve their health;
to achieve the aims by respecting the amateur status of athletes, the values of amateurism and the educational values of sport,
to encourage to practice sport and physical activity in nature while considering the protection of the environment,
to use sport as a means to promote peace and mutual understanding among people and to contribute to development of the world of social associations at any level,
to sustain cultural advancement and to improve health including psychophysical conditions of the member unions as well as its individual members.
Pillars
The objectives of the CSIT are conducted in praxis by clearly defined pillars. They are the CSIT World Sports Games, the CSIT Single Championships, the International Tournaments, the International Festivals, the Sport for All-activities, the International Projects and the Health, Recreation and Fitness Activities, as well as EU-funded projects: YOUAca (Youth Academy of Grassroots Sport) and Bridges (intercultural exchange between old and new members of local communities).
Recognized Sports
Main: 15 Sports in 2025
Lists:
Sports Athletics
Basketball & 3x3 Basketball
Beach Volleyball/Indoor Volleyball
Sports Mamanet (Catch'n Serve Ball)
Chess
Dance
Football, Mini & Beach Soccer
Gymnastics
Judo
Karate & Hand-To-Hand Combat
Pétanque
Swimming
Table Tennis
Tennis, Beach Tennis & Padel
Wrestling & Beach Wrestling
Also Parasport
Others:
Events
CSIT World Sports Games (WSG)
CSIT Single Championship
World Amateur Sports Forum
EU co-funded Projects
Congress
The 45th CSIT Congress in Barcelona in Spain in 2023 with 63 nations.
Members
The CSIT has the following members and candidates as of June 2021:
84 Member from 55 countries in 1 March 2025.
Africa (6): ALG, ANG, MLI, MAR, RSA, TUN
Asia (8): CHN, HKG, IND, IRI, IRQ, JPN, KOR, TPE
Oceania (1): AUS
Americas (7): BRA, CAN, CHI, HAI, MEX, PER, USA
Europe (31): ALB, AUT, BEL, BUL, CRO, CYP, DEN, EST, FIN, FRA, GER, GRE, IRL, ISR, ITA, KOS, LAT, LTU, LUX, MLT, MDV
The CSIT World Sports Games are an international multi-sport event organized every two years for workers and amateur athletes. The event was first held in 2008, in Rimini, Italy. as of November 2020, six editions had been held in: Italy, Estonia, Bulgaria, Latvia and Spain. The 7th edition, scheduled to take place in Cervia, Italy. In 2021 was cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The CSIT World Sports Games are the successor to the International Workers' Olympiads.
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