LAUSANNE – Today, 7 November, the 34th edition of the FISU General Assembly opened at ‘Amphimax’, on the Campus of UNIL, the University of Lausanne. The General Assembly will last until 8 November and is an electoral one as on the 2nd day a new board to lead FISU for the next four years will be elected by the FISU members.
On the first day of the Assembly different reports were presented, covering the period 2013-2015.
After a welcome word from FISU President Gallien and the playing of the Gaudeamus Igitur, FISU’s anthem, Benoit Frund, UNIL Vice-Rector welcomed all delegates on the UNIL Campus, stressing the importance of sport at the University of Lausanne, be it recreational, amateur or elite, with some student-athletes participating in major events like the Olympics and the Universiade. He also stressed the special relationship between UNIL and FISU with the building of the ‘Synathlon’, where the future Headquarters of FISU will be installed, once the building has been completed. “University sport is very noble. It is an honour to welcome you here. Vive le sport universitaire, vive la FISU!”
President Gallien & UNIL Vice-Rector Frund
Next José Savoye, Chair of the FISU Legal Committee took the floor to announce that all mandates were validated with 125 Member Associations of the 167 present, this result in 63 being the absolute majority for the elections. His intervention was followed by the roll call by Secretary-General/CEO Eric Saintrond.
Then the FISU President took the floor to present his report. “The context of economic and moral crisis which has developed over the years in the world in general – and in the world of sport in particular – has significantly complicated FISU’s work; it has also made it even more essential”, the FISU President said.
“We now observe the increasing development, around and inside the sports movement, of dangerous networks of wheelers-dealers that combine strong business sport organisations, political and financial powers and even criminal mafias, all having common transnational economical and/or political interests. It is not so much the profits they can take directly from sport that interests them; they want to take power over the sports movement, encroaching into the decision-making bodies, the dressing rooms, the stadiums, the social networks and the media, and they manage to use sport as a tool to develop a much more lucrative side-business based on money laundering, illegal betting on sports events, match fixing, bribery, corruption, politics or ideology. The world of sport is more and more looking like a “shark tank”.
President Gallien warned that clean sport is in danger. “The Olympic and Sports Movement already has to face the problem, our federation is not immune and cannot ignore the threat. FISU is a strong independent international multisport federation focused on youth in general and students in particular. No doubt that it might be an excellent target for ambitious external organisations looking for a good platform to launch questionable highly profitable activities. This 34th FISU General Assembly shall give FISU a new impetus to develop its projects and actions, and rush beyond the ‘shark tank’.” The President vouched for interdependence and being co-operative with the international sports movement, walking side by side with the Olympic movement.
FISU Treasurer Bayasgalan
Next, FISU Treasurer Bayasgalan presented his report explaining the financial efforts of FISU in these difficult economic times. “Given the circumstances along with the current world economic context of weak growth, where the effects of the financial crisis are still far from recovery, FISU enjoyed positive financial results.”
Then FISU Internal Auditor Gagea presented his report followed by the report of external auditor KPMG. Mr. Gagea, was also given the ‘Emeritus Honorary Member’ status rewarding him for his many years of FISU service.
IOC President Thomas Bach
After the coffee break IOC President Bach joined the FISU GA and gave a welcome speech, remembering his times as a student-athlete participating as a fencer at the SU in Moscow (1973) and Mexico (1979), celebrating the open atmosphere, bonding with athletes from around the world. “Thank you FISU for the experience, which was an important part of my sporting life”, President Bach said. “FISU and the IOC are saving the values of sport, maybe more important now than ever. We all have to learn our lessons and draw conclusions in this changing world. We cannot ignore changes anymore, hence the IOC agenda 2020. We have to change at the time of success, to change for not being changed. New questions need new answers. Please continue in this respect of being a good partner of the IOC. If we can help with our experience, we are happy to do so. Our doors are always open to you. And we are here as well to open doors for you.”
FISU SG/CEO Eric Saintrond
Then FISU Secretary-General/CEO Eric Saintrond took the floor to present his report elaborating on the FISU activities for the period 2013-2015, reviewing step by step the FISU events highlighting that these events were one after the other very successful, not only looking at the number of participants, but also in relation to worldwide media and TV coverage and also, very important, the legacy left to the host cities and universities after the closing ceremonies of these major FISU events.
The SG/CEO also stressed the collaboration with the international sports federations, with already 42 conventions signed. He also discussed all other activities like education and development and the special projects that were developed, such as the 3X3 Basketball FISU World University League and the ‘Lausanne in Motion’ Festival. The latter promoting the ‘World University Sport Day’ that was recently approved and acknowledged by UNESCO.
Progress Report from Almaty OC
In the afternoon session, the Membership voted on amended statutes and internal regulations. These discussions were chaired by the FISU President.
Three new Member Associations were admitted: Aruba, Afghanistan and Gambia, bringing the total to 170 National University Sport Federations. The admission vote was followed by the discharge of the EC for the period 2011-2015 with the approval of the budget next.
The Award of the Gender Equality Committee was presented to the NUSF of Spain.
After the afternoon coffee break, the 2015 Summer (Gwangju) and Winter (Granada/Strbske Pleso/Osrblie) Universiade hosts presented a final report of these successful major FISU events.
From the past the GA switched to the future with progress reports from the Organising Committees of Taipei City (2017 SU), Almaty (2017 WU) and Krasnoyarsk (2019 WU). The first day of this GA ended with the presentation of the upcoming Championship year with 34 World University Championships in 25 countries in 2016.
Tomorrow, the FISU MA delegates will elect a new Executive Committee for the period 2015-2019.
C. Pierre, FISU Press Officer