Photo courtesy Asociacion Deportiva Universitaria de Honduras (ADUH)
For FISU America it is a celebratory time as June 2022 marks 15 years since the organization was founded. Originally called the Pan American University Sports Organization (ODUPA), it merged together the Sports Organization of Central America and the Caribbean, the organizations that led university sports in North America, and the South American University Sports Confederation (COSUD). Renamed FISU America in 2015, it provides a platform for all university students in the Americas to connect through sport.
Photo courtesy FISU America
Founding president, and currently FISU America’s Honorary President, Julio Jakob of Uruguay reflects fondly on the work done in 2007 and what it has led to today but acknowledges that it took work to bring everyone together. “At that time, all the differences that there were in the past were ignored and everything worked the best. In the beginning we looked like brothers of a lifetime, and everything went in the best way.”
FISU America has, since its foundation, focused on the values and practice of sport in concert with the importance and spirit of university education. This has led to 28 countries today being part of the movement which continues to develop and improve university sport throughout the region, while representing it on the world stage with FISU.
As FISU America arrives at its 15th anniversary, Jakob sees it continuing in a positive direction as it has from its inception. He says, “[It] is walking better and better, and it is really a [point of] pride to continue being part of FISU America, now as Honorary President seeing everything from another place. What this has grown [into] since day one, is to be proud.”