Thirteen countries founded the FIL in 1957 in Davos in Switzerland, with the sport featuring at every edition of the Winter Olympics since Innsbruck 1964.

Irina Gladkikh, a Russian winter sports official at the International Olympic Committee (IOC), was one of those to attend the ceremony which was part of the FIL's Congress in Constanţa in Romania.

"The FIL can always rely on the IOC, we are always at your side," Gladkikh said to 35 member countries in Constanţa.

The Romanian Sports Minster, Marius Alexandru Dunca, and the President of the National Olympic Committee of Romania, Mihai Covaliu, also attended the FIL ceremony and presented gifts.

The event concluded with a multimedia presentation about the highlights of the FIL's history which was compiled by Austrian Herbert Wurzer.

FIL President Josef Fendt, the German who succeeded founding head Bert Isatitsch in 1994, also gave a speech about the "expansion" of the FIL.

He highlighted the inclusion of team relay at the Winter Olympics, which made its debut alongside men's, women's and doubles events at Sochi 2014.

He also spoke of the governing body's "solid reserves" and the "broad media recognition" of luge.