The International Gymnastics Federation was founded in 1881. It was established on 23 July in Liège, Belgium, making it the oldest existing international sports federation.
The organization was originally called the European Federation of Gymnastics and began with Belgium, France, and the Netherlands as members. In 1921, it opened membership beyond Europe and adopted the French name Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique, commonly abbreviated FIG.
Its role is to govern international gymnastics, including artistic, rhythmic, trampoline, acrobatic, aerobic, and other disciplines. It also maintains the Code of Points used to evaluate competitive routines. A common mix-up is confusing the federation’s founding date with the Olympic debut of gymnastics or with the creation of modern artistic-gymnastics events.