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<h1>The ICTSG Elevation Framework: A Strategic Pathway for the Global Recognition of Traditional Sports</h1>
<p>In a world facing accelerated cultural homogenization, traditional sports and games (TSGs) stand as resilient markers of indigenous wisdom, collective identity, and intangible heritage. The <strong>International Council of Traditional Sports and Games (ICTSG)</strong> has established a comprehensive framework that enables institutions, governments, federations, and heritage bodies to strategically register and elevate their cultural sports within a globally recognized system aligned with the <strong>UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)</strong>.</p>
<h2>🌐 ICTSG as the World&rsquo;s Leading Traditional Sports Accrediting Body</h2>
<p>Under the mandate of preserving, promoting, and modernizing traditional sports, ICTSG functions as a neutral, non-political, and internationally respected organization that consults, assesses, and advises on the elevation of traditional games. The <strong>Elevation Framework</strong> has already mapped over 165 traditional sports, creating the world&rsquo;s most structured mechanism for safeguarding cultural games.</p>
<h2>📘 The Six Stages of Elevation: From Oral Tradition to Global Legacy</h2>
<p>Each stage in the ICTSG Elevation Framework reflects a phase of maturity, documentation, and international positioning:</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://traditionalsportsgames.org/news/sewen-stage-safeguarding-endangered-traditional-sports-through-ictsg?language_id=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>SEWEN</strong> </a>&ndash; Safeguarding Endangered Wisdom of Ethnic Nations (oral stage)</li>
<li><a href="https://traditionalsportsgames.org/news/LAAIB-Stage:-Local-Ancestral-Activities-&amp;-Indigenous-Base-%E2%80%93-ICTSG-Recognition-Pathway?language_id=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>LAAIB</strong> </a>&ndash; Local Ancestral Activities &amp; Indigenous Base (archived traditions)</li>
<li><a href="https://traditionalsportsgames.org/news/TRINA-Stage:-Tradition-Recognized-with-Indigenous-National-Affirmation-%E2%80%93-ICTSG-Sport-Elevation-Pathway?language_id=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>TRINA</strong> </a>&ndash; Tradition Recognized with Indigenous National Affirmation (national recognition)</li>
<li><a href="https://traditionalsportsgames.org/news/REUNA-Stage:-Registered-Entities-with-Unified-National-Affiliation-%E2%80%93-ICTSG-Global-Sport-Framework?language_id=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>REUNA</strong> </a>&ndash; Registered Entities with Unified National Affiliation (formal registration)</li>
<li><a href="https://traditionalsportsgames.org/news/KIZUN-Stage:-Knowledge-Integration-&amp;-Zonal-Unity-Network-%E2%80%93-ICTSG-Continental-Collaboration-Framework?language_id=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>KIZUN</strong> </a>&ndash; Knowledge Integration for Zones of Unified Nations (intercultural visibility)</li>
<li><a href="https://traditionalsportsgames.org/news/SOLAY-Stage:-Sports-of-Legacy-and-Acknowledged-Yield-%E2%80%93-ICTSG-Global-Hallmark-Stage?language_id=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>SOLAY</strong> </a>&ndash; Safeguarded Original Legacy as Acknowledged Yield (global heritage leadership)</li>
</ul>
<h2>🏛️ For Whom Is This Framework Designed?</h2>
<p>This framework is designed for:</p>
<ul>
<li>National ministries of culture, youth, or sports</li>
<li>Recognized cultural and heritage federations</li>
<li>Academic institutions and ethnographic researchers</li>
<li>Local councils, tribal governance units, and community custodians</li>
<li>UN's SDG-aligned heritage committees</li>
</ul>
<h2>🎯 Strategic Objectives of ICTSG&rsquo;s Elevation Framework</h2>
<ul>
<li>To standardize the elevation of traditional sports across all geographies and cultures</li>
<li>To prevent the extinction of undocumented sports through rapid oral heritage documentation (SEWEN)</li>
<li>To equip institutions with actionable stages toward regional and global validation (TRINA &rarr; KIZUN)</li>
<li>To ensure policy support, digital archiving, and intergenerational transmission (SOLAY)</li>
<li>To strengthen the cultural economy and tourism via officially endorsed heritage games</li>
</ul>
<h2>📨 How to Submit Your Sport for Elevation</h2>
<ol>
<li>Visit the <a href="https://traditionalsportsgames.org/contact-us?language_id=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ICTSG Contact Page</a>.</li>
<li>Provide initial submission materials, including:
<ul>
<li>Sport/game name, origin story, and community practice</li>
<li>Visual or oral documentation (photos, videos, interviews)</li>
<li>Recognition status in local/national law or by cultural institutions</li>
<li>Any structured rules, rituals, or competition format</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>ICTSG&rsquo;s <strong>Sports Review Committee</strong> evaluates the submission and places it in the bi-monthly agenda.</li>
<li>Advisory Committee and Research Commission will assign an initial stage (e.g., SEWEN or TRINA).</li>
<li>Official recognition letter, guidance, and next-step roadmap will be issued for further elevation.</li>
</ol>
<h2>📊 Elevation = SDG Impact</h2>
<p>Registering your traditional sport through ICTSG supports a range of global development goals:</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>SDG 4 &ndash; Quality Education:</strong> Intergenerational knowledge through traditional sport education programs.</li>
<li><strong>SDG 5 &ndash; Gender Equality:</strong> Recognition of women-led or inclusive traditional games.</li>
<li><strong>SDG 10 &ndash; Reduced Inequalities:</strong> Global stage for underrepresented communities.</li>
<li><strong>SDG 11 &ndash; Sustainable Cities &amp; Communities:</strong> Revitalization of cultural identity through public heritage sport spaces.</li>
<li><strong>SDG 16 &ndash; Peace &amp; Justice:</strong> Sport as diplomacy for peacebuilding and cultural coexistence.</li>
<li><strong>SDG 17 &ndash; Partnerships for the Goals:</strong> A global alliance of heritage institutions and national committees.</li>
</ul>
<h2>🧭 Tools &amp; Support Provided by ICTSG</h2>
<ul>
<li>Official digital registration platform and multilingual toolkits</li>
<li>Stage-based guidance and readiness checklist for each framework level</li>
<li>Institutional policy templates and digital archiving resources</li>
<li>Academic support for rules documentation and oral history recording</li>
<li>Recognition ceremonies, heritage festivals, and international collaborations</li>
</ul>
<h2>🛡️ Readiness Levels &ndash; Strategic Focus Areas</h2>
<ul>
<li><strong>SEWEN / LAAIB:</strong> Priority for documentation, rule recording, and community interviews</li>
<li><strong>TRINA:</strong> Move from local recognition to national heritage status</li>
<li><strong>REUNA:</strong> Formal registration with ICTSG, start cultural diplomacy stage</li>
<li><strong>KIZUN / SOLAY:</strong> Showcase heritage sports at global conventions, policy panels, and Olympic-aligned events</li>
</ul>
<h2>❓ FAQs for Executive Leaders</h2>
<h3>Can a ministry submit more than one sport?</h3>
<p>Yes. We encourage national portfolios to submit multiple games across different regions or communities.</p>
<h3>Does ICTSG require physical sport tournaments to be held?</h3>
<p>Not at SEWEN or LAAIB levels. These stages emphasize cultural presence and oral documentation. Physical demonstration becomes more essential at TRINA and beyond.</p>
<h3>Can ICTSG help draft legislation for national sport recognition?</h3>
<p>Yes. ICTSG can collaborate with policymakers to advise on heritage sport recognition laws, SDG alignment, and strategic implementation.</p>
<h2>🌍 Partnering with ICTSG Means Preserving Civilizational Memory</h2>
<p>We invite governments, federations, indigenous organizations, and cultural institutions to join ICTSG in an effort that transcends preservation. Elevation through this framework is not only a commitment to heritage but also a commitment to global cultural equity, peacebuilding, and legacy creation.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<div style="margin-top: 20px;"><a style="padding: 10px 20px; background-color: #007bff; color: white; border-radius: 5px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://traditionalsportsgames.org/categories-news/get-involved" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Get Involved</a> &nbsp; <a style="padding: 10px 20px; background-color: #28a745; color: white; border-radius: 5px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://traditionalsportsgames.org/news/benefits-of-joining-ictsg?language_id=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Benefits of Joining</a> &nbsp; <a style="padding: 10px 20px; background-color: #ffc107; color: black; border-radius: 5px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://traditionalsportsgames.org/news/cloned-support-indigenous-heritage?language_id=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Support ICTSG</a></div>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>About ICTSG:</strong> The International Council of Traditional Sports and Games (ICTSG) is dedicated to preserving, promoting, and revitalizing traditional sports and games as powerful tools for education, peace, and sustainable development.</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://traditionalsportsgames.org/about-us?language_id=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">About Us</a></li>
<li><a href="https://traditionalsportsgames.org/news/formation-history-of-ictsg?language_id=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">History</a></li>
<li><a href="https://traditionalsportsgames.org/contact-us?language_id=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Contact</a></li>
</ul>
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Register your traditional or indigenous sport with ICTSG using the official Elevation Framework. A strategic path for policymakers, ministries, and federations.

ICTSG Traditional Sport Registration & Elevation Framework