International Dart Federation recognised as Observer Member of IMSA
- Webmaster Office
- 15 hours ago
- 4 min read
The International Dart Federation (IDF) today announced that it has been admitted as an Observer Member of the International Mind Sports Association (IMSA). This milestone formally recognizes IDF – the world governing body for Soft Darts, e-darts, Virtual Darts and Para Soft Darts – within the global mind-sports community.
The International Mind Sports Association (IMSA) is a global organization founded in 2005 to unite the international federations of intellectual games. IMSA’s mission is to promote mind sports worldwide and to foster their recognition alongside other major sports. Headquartered in Lausanne, Switzerland, IMSA and its members work in liaison with bodies including the International Olympic Committee (IOC), World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and SportAccord, to organize high‑level mind-sports events and advocate education and personal development through such sports.
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), 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.
This growing membership reflects IMSA’s broad “umbrella” approach to all mind-based games. The association works towards the recognition and development of mind sports globally, with a focus on enhancing education, life skills, and intelligence through the practice of these sports. IMSA promotes the educational and cognitive benefits of games like chess and bridge – and now, Soft Darts, e-darts and Virtual Darts.
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.
IMSA will therefore work in liaison with 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.
IDF – based in Lausanne, Switzerland – is the world governing body for Soft Darts, e-darts, Virtual Darts, Para Soft Darts and related disciplines. Being admitted as an Observer Member of IMSA is a major achievement for IDF and for the global Soft Darts community. It means that Soft Darts, e-darts and Virtual Darts is formally counted among the world’s mind sports at the international level.
In practical terms, IDF will now be included in IMSA’s meetings and discussions, giving darts a seat at the table with chess, bridge, and other intellectual games. Most importantly, this recognition symbolically affirms that soft darts, e-darts, virtual darts require strategic thinking and skill on par with other mind sports. IDF’s Secretary General and CEO, Marco Tomasini, commented on the announcement: “We are extremely proud that the International Dart Federation has joined the IMSA family as an Observer Member. This status confirms that soft darts – in all its forms – is recognized worldwide as a mind sport. It is a great honor for our athletes that electronic darts, virtual darts games and even soft dart game formats like Cricket are now acknowledged alongside classics like chess and bridge.” Tomasini added that IMSA membership aligns with IDF’s own commitment to education and fair play. “IMSA’s values of fostering intelligence and life skills through games resonate deeply with us. We look forward to working with IMSA to promote the mental and social benefits of soft darts around the world.”
With IMSA’s endorsement, soft darts’ profile will rise further on the international stage. Observers note that IMSA’s founding goal was to bring mind sports into the global sporting conversation and ultimately into events related to the Olympic movement. IDF’s new status helps realize that vision for soft darts. It strengthens IDF’s standing as a legitimate international governing body, alongside others listed in IMSA. In addition, it formally places electronic and virtual forms of darts within the umbrella of mind sports – a development that reflects the growing prominence of online and digital competition. In summary, membership in IMSA is a significant step for the soft darts community. It recognizes the strategic depth of soft darts and confirms that IDF meets the high standards of organization and governance expected of mind-sports federations. As an IMSA Observer, IDF will help shape the future of mind sports, ensuring that darts continues to evolve as an inclusive, educational, and internationally-recognized sport.
More Info on IMSA on the IMSA’s Website: https://imsa.sport/
More Info on IDF on the IDF’s Website: https://www.softdarts.sport/
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