New Delhi:
On 17th of November, 2024 Mauricio Macri the former president of Argentina was elected as a member of the Advisory Board of International Mind Sports Association (IMSA) during the General Assembly in São Paulo, Brazil.
Who is Mauricio Macri?
Mauricio Macri (born February 8, 1959, in Tandil, Buenos Aires province, Argentina) is an Argentine politician, businessman, and sports executive who served as President of Argentina from 2015 to 2019. After earning a degree in civil engineering from the Pontifical Catholic University of Argentina, Macri began working in various companies within his family’s conglomerate, the Macri Group.
Macri gained national prominence as president of Boca Juniors, Argentina’s most popular soccer club, from 1995 to 2007. Under his leadership, Boca achieved significant success, winning six national championships, four Copa Libertadores titles, and improving its financial and stadium infrastructure.
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In 2003, Macri founded the political party Commitment for Change, which evolved into Republican Proposal (PRO), Argentina’s first new, competitive national party in over six decades. After serving two terms as mayor of Buenos Aires (2007-2015), he won Argentina’s 2015 presidential election, focusing on economic reforms and closer international ties. His presidency faced challenges, particularly with inflation and economic hardship, leading to a loss in the 2019 election.
In 2020, Macri became Executive Chairman of the FIFA Foundation, broadening his role in sports on a global scale. He remains an influential figure in Argentina’s political landscape, advocating for liberal economic policies and reform.
What is IMSA?
The International Mind Sports Association (IMSA) was founded in Berlin, Germany on April 19, 2005 during the GAISF (then General Association of Sport Federations) annual convention.
IMSA membership currently stands at 9: including the 4 founding international federations, World Bridge Federation (WBF), Fédération Mondiale du Jeu de Dames (FMJD), and Fédération Internationale des Échecs (FIDE) and International Go Federation (IGF),
The World Xiangqi Federation (WXF) was added in 2015, the Mahjong International League (MIL) in 2017, the Federation of Card Games (FCG) in 2018 and International eSports Federation in 2022. The World Poker Federation has also joined IMSA in 2024.
The goals of IMSA are :
• To unite different mind sports federations to pursue common aims and interests,
• To promote the development of countries citizens through the educational benefits of Mind Sports,
• To organize the World Mind Sports Games under the aegis of the IOC,
• To realize the inclusion of all mind sports in the Olympic movement,
• To assist the admission of the national federations of the member mind sports into their respective National Olympic Committees.
The Association intends to work towards the recognition of the quality of teaching of these disciplines on young people that helps them substantially in their intellectual and emotional growth.
The Association will therefore work in liaison with – in addition to the IOC and SportAccord – all stakeholders who hold common goals, IMSA is convinced of its capacity to improve the level of education in the world, enhance life skills and intelligence and to participate in a more peaceful entente through the practice of these sports.
