Tayo Ogunseye
Nigeria has recorded another landmark achievement in international school sports administration as Mrs. Olabisi Joseph has been nominated to the Management Committee of the International School Sport Federation (ISF), further strengthening the country’s growing influence in global sports governance.
Joseph, who recently made history as the first African woman and the first woman globally to be elected as ISF Continental President for Africa and serve on the federation’s Executive Committee, received the latest appointment during the ISF Annual General Meeting held in Belgrade, Serbia.
Following the July 21 General Meeting, the newly constituted Executive Committee selected Joseph and Elena Mickovska of North Macedonia as representatives on the seven-member ISF Management Committee for the 2026–2030 term.
The committee will be responsible for overseeing the federation’s governance and comprises ISF President Željko Tanasković, Vice Presidents Antônio Hora Filho, Youssef Belqasmi and Lianshuai Teng, Secretary General Hasnae El Ayoubi, alongside Joseph and Mickovska.
The ISF described the establishment of the Management Committee as a major milestone in laying the governance foundation for the federation’s new four-year cycle. The Executive and Management Committees are also expected to renew several specialised bodies, including the ISF Technical Commission, as part of efforts to strengthen structures supporting school sport development across the world.
The inaugural meeting of the new Executive Committee was attended by Dejan Bojović, Secretary General of the Olympic Committee of Serbia, who welcomed members and reaffirmed Serbia’s commitment to supporting the ISF’s mission of advancing school sports globally. He emphasized the importance of international collaboration in shaping the future of youth sports.
Joseph’s latest appointment further underscores her rising profile in international sports administration while reinforcing Nigeria’s growing presence in global decision-making circles.
In announcing her earlier election, the ISF highlighted her historic emergence as the federation’s first-ever female Continental President, describing it as a reflection of the organization’s commitment to greater diversity and inclusion.
“The new Executive Committee reflects the growing diversity of the ISF community. Gender representation continues to develop across the Federation, with three new female assessors elected to the Executive Committee. Olabisi Joseph of Nigeria, a former ISF Executive Committee member, was also elected as the first ever female ISF Continental President,” the federation stated.
Joseph’s appointment to the ISF Management Committee marks another significant milestone in her distinguished career and further cements her status as one of Africa’s leading figures in school sport governance, while opening a new chapter for female representation in international sports leadership.
