Tholoana Peu
The latest educational webinar held for FISU Student Ambassadors focused on an important topic, that of inclusive sport. It provided attendees, which also included FISU Volunteer Leaders Academy (FVLA) alumni and 2022 candidates, the opportunity to learn more about inclusion in sport and how different national university sport federations (NUSF) and events are focusing on this.
FISU Education Manager Julien Buhajezuk spoke first by introducing inclusive sport terminology as well as FISU’s position on the topic. This position includes how FISU encourages inclusivity with its members, that it will adapt events where possible, and how it promotes inclusiveness within its mass sport programmes such as FISU Healthy Campus and the International Day of University Sport (IDUS).
Next to speak was Andrea Ippolito from Italy, a FVLA participant from 2018 and currently working in the Inclusive Sport Projects area of CUSI, Italy’s NUSF. He emphasised some of the goals of inclusiveness including participation, the increase of self-esteem and self-confidence, and the importance of educating communities of instructors and operators. One specific project he highlighted was Inclusive Sport for People with Disabilities. This programme included 358 people with disabilities, as well as over 2,500 other participants, and focused on the value and diffusion of sport among Italian university students with disability.
National executive member of University Sport South Africa, Tholoana Peu, presented next about the importance of supporting people with disabilities in sports. She told the story of Tshwane University of Technology student Sedzani Netshikweta who founded Nech Sports for the Blind Exposure as an important project supporting inclusive sport. Netshikweta’s organisation aims to provide support for people with sight impairment to participate in sport, particularly for those at universities.
Elke Koehnke
The final speaker was Germany’s Elke Koehnke. In talking about inclusion, she talked of the impact of the Special Olympics and specifically their World Games, which in 2019 in Abu Dhabi saw over 7000 athletes from 190 countries compete. For that event she served as Section Head for Volunteer Recruitment and Training.
The webinar provided a range of ideas and examples of how inclusiveness in sport is improving. For FISU Student Ambassadors, the challenge is now to take the learning and identify ways to carry it to future projects.