The Norwegian Olympic and Paralympic Committee and Confederation of Sports ( no, Norges idrettsforbund og olympiske og paralympiske komité; NIF) is the umbrella organization for sport in

Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and t ...

. It is the largest volunteering organization in Norway, with more than 2 million members and 12,000 sports clubs in 19 region confederations and 54 national federations. The current president is

Berit Kjøll Berit Kjøll (born 30 November 1955) is a Norwegian economist, corporate officer and sports administrator. She served as the president of the Norwegian Confederation of Sports from 2019 to 2023. Early and personal life Born on 30 November 1955, ...

History

The organisation was founded in 1861 as ''Centralforeningen for Udbredelse af Legemsøvelser og Vaabenbrug'', and has later changed its name several times. The current name dates from 2007.

Former presidents

The presidents before 1940:

Centralforeningen 1861–1910

*1861-1864 Otto Richard Kierulf *1864-1867 Nils Christian Irgens *1867-1869 Otto Richard Kierulf *1869-1878 Lars Broch *1878-1881 Lars Christian Dahll *1881-1885

Edvard Eriksen Edvard Eriksen (10 March 1876 – 12 January 1959) was a Danish–Icelandic sculptor. Biography He apprenticed as a wood carver, after which he trained at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts between 1894 and 1899. Eriksen's most famous work ...

*1885-1887 Olaf Wilhelm Petersen *1887-1892 Anders Løwlie *1892-1902 Carl Sylow *1902-1904 Thorvald Prydz *1904-1906

Frithjof Jacobsen Frithjof Halfdan Jacobsen (14 January 1914 – 14 March 1999) was a Norwegian diplomat. He was born in South Shields as a son of shipmaster and navy captain Carl Gustav Jacobsen (1878–1941) and Frida Mørch (1878–1968). He returned to Norway, ...

*1906-1916 Oscar Strugstad *1916-1919 Hans Daae

Norges Riksforbund for Idræt 1910–1919

*1910-1914 Johan Martens *1914-1918 Johan Sverre *1918-1919 Leif S. Rode

Norges Landsforbund for Idræt 1919–1940

*1919-1925 Hjalmar Krag *1925-1930 Leif S. Rode *1930-1932 Jørgen Martinius Jensen *1932-1936 Daniel Eie *1936-1940 Carl Christiansen

Arbeidernes Idrettsforbund The Workers' Federation of Sports ( no, Arbeidernes Idrettsforbund), often just called the AIF, was a sporting organization in Norway between 1924 and 1946.Heinemann, Klaus. Sport Clubs in Various European Countries'. Schorndorf: Hofmann .a. 1999 ...
1924–1940

*1924-1926 Harald Liljedahl *1926-1927 Oscar Hansen *1927-1928 Thor Jørgensen *1928-1931 Thorvald Olsen *1931-1935

Trygve Lie Trygve Halvdan Lie ( , ; 16 July 1896 – 30 December 1968) was a Norwegian politician, labour leader, government official and author. He served as Norwegian foreign minister during the critical years of the Norwegian government in exile in Lo ...

*1935-1939 Arthur Ruud *1939-1940 Rolf Hofmo

Rød Sport 1931–1934

*1931- Oscar Hansen

During the German occupation of Norway

NLF and AIF were merged in September 1940, but the new organization was soon usurped by the Nazi authorities during the

occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany The occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany during the Second World War began on 9 April 1940 after Operation Weserübung. Conventional armed resistance to the German invasion ended on 10 June 1940, and Nazi Germany controlled Norway until the ...

. *1940-1940 Olaf Helset (deposed) *1940-1942

Egil Reichborn-Kjennerud Egil Reichborn-Kjennerud (4 February 1903 – 10 April 1974) was a Norwegian judge, cyclist and sports administrator. He was a Norwegian champion in cycling. During World War II he was a sports leader under the Nazi rule, leading the Norwegi ...

*1942-1944 Charles Hoff

NIF 1946–1996

*1946-1948 Olaf Helset *1948-1951 Arthur Ruud *1961-1965 Axel Proet Høst *1965-1967

Johan Chr. Schønheyder Johan Chr. Schønheyder (12 February 1915 – 14 March 2015) was a Norwegian insurance manager, orienteer and sports official. Personal life Schønheyder was born in Kristiania to engineer Johan Franciscus Schønheyder and Anna Kristine ...

*1967-1973

Torfinn Bentzen Torfinn Bentzen (1912–1986) was a Norwegian jurist and sports official. He chaired the Norwegian Confederation of Sports from 1967 to 1973. He was a barrister by occupation. References 1912 births 1986 deaths Norwegian sports exe ...

*1973-1984 Ole Jacob Bangstad *1984-1990 Hans B. Skaset *1990-1994

William Engseth William Engseth (born 1 August 1933 in Målselv) is a Norwegian politician for the Labour Party. He was appointed Minister of Local Government Affairs in 1987, and in 1988 he became Minister of Transport and Communications 1988–1989. In 1989 ...

*1994-1996

Arne Myhrvold Arne Myhrvold (born 12 June 1945) is a Norwegian sports official. He was president of the Norwegian Olympic Committee from 1989, of the Norwegian Confederation of Sports from 1994, and of the Norwegian Olympic and Paralympic Committee and Confedera ...

Norges Olympiske Komite 1965–1996

*1965-1969

Jørgen Jahre Jørgen Jahre (29 October 1907 – 24 April 1998) was a Norwegian shipowner and sports official. Jørgen Jahre was born in Tjølling, in Vestfold county, Norway. He was a nephew of Norwegian shipping magnate Anders Jahre. He was secretary ...

*1969-1985

Arne B. Mollén Arne B. Mollén (2 May 1913 – 4 July 2000) was a Norwegian sports official. Representing the club IF Vestheim, he was the president of the Norwegian Athletics Association from 1953 to 1955, vice chairman of the Norwegian Olympic Committee from ...

*1985-1989

Jan Gulbrandsen Jan Gulbrandsen (29 May 1938 – 4 September 2007) was a Norwegian hurdler, politician and sports official. His main event was the 400 metres hurdles. He became Norwegian champion in the event from 1957 through 1964, and won a silver medal in ...

*1989-1996

Norges Idrettsforbund og Olympiske Komite 1996–2007

*1996-1999 Arne Myhrvold *1999-2004 Kjell Olav Kran *2004-2004

Grethe Fossli Grethe Fossli (born 21 December 1954 in Bærum) is a Norwegian politician for the Labour Party. She was elected to the Norwegian Parliament from Akershus Akershus () is a traditional region and current electoral district in Norway, with Os ...

(acting) *2004-2007 Karl-Arne Johannessen *2007-2007 Odd-Roar Thorsen (acting) *2007-2007 Tove Paule

Norges Idrettsforbund og Olympiske og Paralympiske Komite 2007–

*2007–2011 Tove Paule *2011–2015

Børre Rognlien Børre Rognlien (born 26 December 1944) is a Norwegian sports official and politician for the Conservative Party. He started his career as a journalist and military officer. He is best known for administrating speed skating, and as a politicia ...

*2015–2019 Tom Tvedt *2019–

References

External links

Official website
Sports organisations of Norway Sports organizations established in 1861 Organisations based in Oslo

1861 establishments in Norway {{Norway-sport-stub