I am Yōkō Takemiya, President of the International Go Federation.

The IGF was formed in 1982 in Tokyo and is now the world’s leading Go organisation with member associations representing 79 countries and regions.

The World Amateur Go Championship, which is organised annually by the IGF, is known as the Olympics of Go and is being held for the 45th time in 2025.

The first 30 editions of this championship were held in Japan, but since the 31st edition in 2010, it has been held in China and South Korea as well as Japan, and in 2015 in Bangkok (Thailand) and in 2021 in Vladivostok (Russia). The 45th edition in 2025 will be held in Vancouver, Canada. This is the first time the event will be held outside Asia, in North America. We can see that Go is steadily spreading around the world.

We have collaborated with our association members, especially the World Pair Go Association, for the spread of Pair Go as well as Go in the world.

As a mind sport, the IGF is a founding member of International Mind Sports Association (IMSA) and we have cooperated with chess, bridge, draughts, and other mind sports federations to ensure that the game of Go should be more widely recognised and can get recognition from the IOC. The IGF will continue to dedicate to the development of Go in the world and to the achievement of our mission.