The assembly that validated poker as a mind sport included representatives from the world federations of all other IMSA modalities. At that same meeting, the World E-sports Federation was approved as a new member of IMSA.
IMSA is chaired by the Chinese Madame Zelan Chen who made a point of giving a welcome message to the entity: “it is with enormous satisfaction and great expectations that we unanimously approve poker as part of the Mind Sports family”.
Igor Trafane “Federal”, was chosen to be the first president of the WPF and said: “one of the historical demands of our category was that poker be recognized worldwide as a sport. It took many years of negotiation and work to have a World Poker Federation and for it to be officially recognized by IMSA”.
