As an alpinist, Eric Saintrond spent his younger years traversing knife-edge ridges and scaling slender pinnacles of granite.
Climbing a near-vertical wall with only the outward force of one’s hands and feet pressing against the rock creating the friction to hold one in place takes bullet-proof confidence. To thrive in the mountains takes a mentality custom-built for taking only necessary risks. And none that aren’t — if one hopes to survive long enough in that environment.
As Saintrond celebrates 33 years at FISU this year, and a birthday today, its probably safe to say Secretary General – CEO chose the right pitches in which to place the federation’s pieces of protection. As the federation not only celebrates its 70th anniversary — it also looks with rapt attention to the University World Cup – Football underway, and the Universiades in Lucerne and Lake Placid on the winter side, and summer in Chengdu and Ekaterinburg — Saintrond has helped the University Sport Movement choose its proverbial climbing partners well.
A note of Saintrond’s university sports career could be done in many ways. It’s a work that spans 36 Universiades, hundreds of World University Championships, and numerous other programmes, events, and initiatives. Honouring this body of work with the Primo Nebiolo award just felt right, said FISU President Oleg Matytsin.
“Eric has dedicated the whole his life to the ideals of university sport,” President Matytsin said. “For me, he’s not just a faithful friend, but also a great professional, capable of finding the right solutions to even the most challenging situations.
“He’s a leader by nature,” added the FISU President. “Under his guidance, the FISU Secretariat works productively to increase the role and reach of university sport. Eric is a sports aficionado; as a climber in his past, he is always aiming for the top.”
From his start in 1985 in the FISU offices in Brussels with two other employees to today, where the FISU staff numbers 40 in Lausanne, Switzerland, the Belgium-born adventurer has played a part in enhancing the role and reach of sports and physical education on universities around the world.
With FISU back in the birthplace of the Universiade and its influential late president Primo Nebiolo for the 36th General Assembly earlier this month, FISU presented the first five of the lifetime achievement awards in Torino. Today’s announcement makes the sixth.
A charismatic sports leader, Nebiolo helped thaw east and west relations with the games he christened the Universiade in 1959. He would go on two years later to preside over FISU for four decades before the late George Killian would take over the presidency.
The newly elected FISU Executive Committee agreed, with the Primo Nebiolo medal to be officially bestowed to him in Bratislava during Slovakia’s 100-year commemoration of national university sport. Amid the country’s anniversary celebrations, the Slovak University Sports Association will also host the FISU Steering Committee, where the medal awarding will take place.
The upcoming announcement has already spread fast through the international university sports community.
“All the Italian sports family, with CUSI and myself, are very happy to hear the Eric will be awarded the Primo Nebiolo Medal in recognition of this excellent work for university sport,” wrote Lorenzo Lentini, Centro Universitario Sportivo Italiano (CUSI) President.
“Thank you always for your commitment and leadership,” wrote Korean University Sports Board President Byong-Jin You. “I am pleased and honoured to extend my full support for attributing the Primo Nebiolo Medal to Eric for his years of service and dedication to FISU. Having known him since Summer Universiade 1992 in Buffalo, his passion for the university sports has been one of my greatest inspiration. I think no better person deserves this honorary medal.”
“Yes, of course, I approve,” wrote Luciano Cabral, Brazil’s national member association president. “Eric has dedicated his life to FISU!!! Congratulations!”