UIPM appoints Ad-hoc Working Group to manage FISO integration

• UIPM President Dr Klaus Schormann to chair seven-person group
• FISO President Ian Adamson among three Obstacle specialists included
• Working Group will formalise integration according to signed MOU

MONACO: September 19, 2023 – Dr Klaus Schormann, President of the Union Internationale de Pentathlon Moderne (UIPM), will chair a seven-person Ad-hoc Working Group charged with formalising UIPM’s integration of the Federation Internationale de Sports d’Obstacles (FISO).

The formation of the Working Group is the next step in the process to deliver on the Memorandum of Understanding signed by the UIPM and FISO Presidents in Bath (GBR) in August. This agreement will enable UIPM to oversee the global Obstacle sports movement, following the integration of Obstacle as a discipline of Modern Pentathlon, with the mutual aim of increasing audience and participation numbers across a wider multi-sports portfolio.

Following a vote of approval from the UIPM Executive Board, the Working Group will comprise President Dr Schormann as Chair, UIPM Vice President Joel Bouzou OLY, NORCECA Confederation President Rob Stull OLY, UIPM Secretary General Shiny Fang, FISO President Ian Adamson, Alberto Agra and Panna Utpaul.

Alberto Agra, a prominent attorney and former Solicitor General and Justice Secretary of the Philippine Government who chairs the Philippine Reclamation Authority, is President of the Asia-Pacific Obstacle Sports Federation.

Panna Utpaul, a hotelier who is Vice President Operations of Playa Hotels & Resorts across the USA and Jamaica, is President of the Pan American Obstacle Sports Federation.

The Working Group is scheduled to meet for the first time in November 2023, at the end of a season in which:

• Obstacle was successfully introduced as a Modern Pentathlon discipline in the UIPM 2023 Junior, U19 and U17 World Championships
• The new discipline was integrated into numerous regional and national Modern Pentathlon competitions at under-age level, following the provision of resources to support athletes, coaches and organisers
• UIPM co-hosted the FISO 2023 Ninja World Cup USA and FISO 2023 OCR World Championships.