Confederation Mondiale Sports Boules

While the F.I.B. and the C.B.I. were working hard to receive Olympic recognition, there was yet another world organization, the International Petanque Association (I.P.A.), pursuing the same goal. Petanque, a game which emerged in France in the early part of this century, is played with small metal balls on courts shorter than those used for bocce. The rules are different, but the principle of the game is very similar to bocce.

When these three world organizations applied for Olympic acceptance, they were all told the same thing. The International Olympic and Committee did not recognize sports federations where there were "two or more different group laying claim to world jurisdiction in the same (or similar) sport."

With this realization there was only one course of action for these three organizations to take. If they were to be successful in their quest for Olympic status, in some form they would have to merge. And so it was in 1985 that Dr. Luigi Sambuelli (F.I.B.), Giovanni Baggio (C.B.I.) and Henri Bernard (I.P.A.) convened and established an umbrella organization, the Confédération Mondiale Sports Boules. The primary goal of this confederation was to gain Olympic recognition for each of the three represented disciplines. Each of the member organizations would continue to remain autonomous. Every two years the presidency of the new confederation rotates among the three member groups. Mr. Alphonse Lagier-Bruno was re-elected at the world congress in Turin, Italy Sepember 24, 2005.

Dr. Luigi Sambuelli was the first president and was privileged to receive the communication in late 1986 from Juan Antonio Samaranch, President of the International Olympic Committee. The communication announced the approval of the Confederation's application and welcomed them into the "Olympic family." The goal had been realized.

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