Patrick Baumann has called for sporting bodies to play a closer role in organising the first ANOC World Beach Games ©Getty Images

Global Association of International Sports Federations (GAISF) President Patrick Baumann has called for International Federations to play a greater role in preparations for the inaugural World Beach Games in San Diego in 2019.

The event is being organised by the Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC).

A programme featuring 15 sports was announced at their General Assembly in Prague last week.

"If there is a World Multi-Sport Games, it should be under the aegis of GAISF," Baumann said during the IF Forum which closed here yesterday.

"In this case, because ANOC has been further advanced, we certainly are very happy to discuss with them how to cooperate in the best possible way.

"We have expressed our views to ANOC and we feel that the relationships between National Olympic Committees and IFs should be on a 50-50 par and that should guide the future of our relationship.

"It is not about one above the other and that is the main point we are still working on."

Baumann, an IOC member and secretary general of the International Basketball Federation, was present in Prague last week.

He revealed he had already spoken about the issue with ANOC President Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah and secretary general Gunilla Lindberg.

Competition across all sports will take place on Mission Beach in San Diego at the ANOC World Beach Games ©Getty Images
Competition across all sports will take place on Mission Beach in San Diego at the ANOC World Beach Games ©Getty Images

The World Beach Games are set to open on October 10 in 2019. 

The Beach Games was originally launched as a joint project between ANOC and SportAccord - the former name of GAISF - in October 2013 but has been increasingly seen as a personal priority of Sheikh Ahmad.

The idea came out of the success of the Asian Beach Games, first held in Bali, Indonesia in 2008. 

Relations between the two bodies deteriorated in 2015 when former SportAccord President Marius Vizer awarded Sochi the inaugural edition without participation from ANOC, although the Russian coastal resort withdrew soon ahead of Vizer's resignation.

Relations between GAISF have undergone a gradual improvement since Baumann was elected President in 2016.

Sports due to appear in San Diego include 3x3 basketball, BMX freestyle, beach handball and a karate beach kata event, along with the surfing disciplines stand-up paddle and shortboard.

A park terrain skateboarding event is also set to feature, along with beach soccer, open water swimming, aquathlon, beach tennis and a 4x4 beach volleyball competition.

The programme will be completed by bouldering, wakeboarding, a waterski jump event, kiteboarding and beach wrestling.

The event was initially due to take place in 2017 but was pushed back to October 2019 last year to allow more time for preparations.

Around 1,350 athletes are now expected to participate in an event taking place solely on Mission Beach in the Californian city.