The International Federation of Match Poker (IFMP) is the governing body of sports poker, promoting poker and its Match Poker™ variation as a skill game

Founded in April 2009 in Lausanne, Switzerland, home of the Olympic movement and most other sports federations, IFMP champions poker as “a mind-sport of strategic skill”, alongside chess, bridge, draughts and Go.

As it campaigns to clean up poker’s image, and lobbies legislators to separate poker from gambling, IFMP’s member nations now number more than 65 worldwide from five continents. IFMP events do not involve buy-ins or gambling. IFMP is an observer member of GAISF, the general assembly of international sports federations, and a signatory to the WADA code since 2017 with Match Poker athletes undergoing anti-doping tests just like in any other sport. IFMP is working closely with Harvard and has established the Mindsport Research Network at the Berkman Center, Harvard.

IFMP Executive Board

Elected for a period of three years, and in turn electing a president from amongst its members, the Executive Board of IFMP is tasked with taking all appropriate measures and issuing all appropriate decisions in relation to the activities of the IFMP and the accomplishment of its mission. The Board of IFMP remains subject to the supreme authority of the Congress.

Patrick Nally - President

Patrick Nally has been a driving force behind the establishment of IFMP to promote the educational, social and respectable values of poker as a mind sport

Patrick is often referred to as the “Founding Father of Sports Marketing”. His impressive track record began in the 70s when he was instrumental in rewriting and restructuring the event format and commercial marketing rights of the Olympic Games and FIFA World Cup.

One of his many career highlights working with international sport and corporate sponsors was brokering the marriage between FIFA and Coca-Cola, a deal which has lasted nearly 40 years.

Patrick is a lecturer and touring fellow of the World Academy of Sport and a past Academic Director of the IE Business School in Madrid’s Master in Sports Management. He writes a regular column for SportsPro magazine and more details of Patrick’s unique background can be found at www.westnally.com.

Kathy Yeung - CEO

Kathy Yeung

Hong Kong

Dedicated to enhancing the Hong Kong poker community, Kathy brings over 10 years of experience in owning and operating poker clubs and hosting various international poker tournaments in the Hong Kong area.

She produced Hong Kong’s first-ever poker TV show – the Celebrities Poker Show. This show aired for three consecutive seasons on TVB J2, every Saturday night at 9:00pm, solidifying its place as a pioneering program in the local poker scene.

She also successfully hosted the IFMP Match Poker Asian Nations Cup 2023 in Hong Kong. The event featured celebrities, 12 Asian country teams, and IFMP officials; it kicked off with an opening ceremony at Hong Kong Metropolitan University and concluded with a closing ceremony at the Hong Kong Olympic House. Supported by the Hong Kong Tourism Board, this milestone event set a new standard for the global poker industry.

Summary:

Experience: Over 10 years in poker club operations and international tournaments.
Innovation: Produced the first poker TV show in Hong Kong, airing for three seasons.
Achievement: Successfully hosted the IFMP event, marking a milestone for the industry.

Dmitry Lesnoy

Dmitry Lesnoy is a former national skiing champion, qualified journalist, card-player and writer.

In 1994 he published the Russian Encyclopaedia of Card Games, which he considers to be his life’s work. Lesnoy has also published a series of books, Mathematics of Casino Games, as well as translating well-known international works into Russian. Lesnoy was the founder of Poker Games magazine. In 1997, Lesnoy founded the Russian Mind Games League and went on to become one of the first poker tournament operators in Russia from 2001 – 2003. In 2006, Lesnoy initiated the creation of the Russian Sports Poker Federation (RSPF) and was elected its first president on 18th November that year. After submitting a special report to the Russian Sports Ministry, the RSPF became the organisation officially authorised to promote poker in Russia, and to stage Russia’s national championships. Under Lesnoy’s leadership, RSPF was a moving force behind the establishment of IFP, as well as being a founder-member.

Joe Barnard