Parkour UK, as the recognised National Governing Body (NGB) / National Federation for the recognised sport of Parkour/Freerunning in the United Kingdom has issued an Open Letter to British Gymnastics re: The wilful and continued encroachment, misappropriation and attempt to usurp Parkour by the Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique (FIG).
As the recognised custodians of the recognised sovereign sport of Parkour/Freerunning in the UK and to protect and promote the integrity, rights, freedoms and interests of our Traceurs/Freerunners, our member organisations & the UK community, as well acting in legitimate solidarity with the international Parkour/Freerunning community, Parkour UK feel that it is necessary and prudent to write to British Gymnastics, as members of the FIG, regarding the proposal being made for members of FIG to vote on at their 82nd Congress in Baku, Azerbaijan on the 2-3 Dec 2018.
It is patently clear and fully substantiated (as per the various correspondence issued by Parkour UK and/or Parkour Earth) that there is no connection and/or lineage between the sport of Parkour/Freerunning and the sport of Gymnastics. We are our own sovereign sport with independently recognised distinct uniqueness and cultural status. We are Parkour/Freerunning,we are Traceurs/Freerunners, #WeAreNOTGymnastics!
Additionally, Parkour/Freerunning has been recognised as a sovereign sport in its own right. Our sport is not a discipline of any existing sport. Parkour UK in resolute solidarity with our fellow members of Parkour Earth, for and on behalf of the international Parkour/Freerunning/Art Du Déplacement community, will not allow our sport to be to be encroached, misappropriated and usurped unilaterally by another sport against our, our members and community’s will.
Furthermore as it is patently clear and fully substantiated that the FIG is acting ultra-vires beyond the governance, authority and scope of their current legitimate statutes (2017 edition) – and the acts they have undertaken to previously and date relating to the encroachment, misappropriation and the attempt to usurp Parkour are unconstitutional and void.
Therefore, Parkour UK respectfully, reasonably and legitimately request that British Gymnastics shall vote NO or ABSTAIN on the resolution to ratify the proposed statutes (2018 edition) at the FIG Congress in Baku on the 2-3 Dec 2018. Not to do so would be a direct conflict of interest and would raise significant additional ethical,governance and integrity questions – in addition to (with prejudice) possible questions in relation to competition law.
A full copy of the Open Letter can be downloaded here
#WeAreNOTGymnastics
