FISU President opens University Sports House at Buenos Aires 2018

FISU President Oleg Matytsin marked the start of the Buenos Aires 2018 Youth Olympic Games by officially opening the University Sports House in the Youth Olympic Park, alongside Argentina University Sports Federation (FeDUA) President Emiliano Ojea

The University Sports House is a mobile booth created together by FISU and FeDUA to help inform Youth Olympic Games participants and visitors about the University Sport movement, and FISU’s events and activities. The opening ceremony was attended by a number of honorary guests, including International Fair Play Committee leader Jeno Kamuti, International School Sport President Laurent Petrynka, newly elected President of the International Biathlon Federation Olle Dahlin and many others.

During his time in Buenos Aires President Matytsin, who sits on the IOC Education Commission, also took part in several key discussions regarding the future of university sport, including the first edition of the Olympism in Action Forum. The Forum featured a range of subjects where university sport plays a key role, primarily the importance of inclusion, education and skill-building, and healthy societies.

The 133^rd IOC Session provided the perfect opportunity for President Matytsin to speak with Italian Olympic Association President and newly-elected IOC Member Giovanni Malago as the two shared their views and ideas of best practice for the upcoming 2019 Summer Universiade. President Matytsin also discussed the potential organisation of an intra-university handball tournament with IHF President Hassan Moustafa, and the possibility of hosting future FISU events with the head of the Korean Olympic and Sports Committee Lee Kee-heung and World Taekwondo President Chungwon Choue.

 The FISU President making an appearance on a Buenos Aires university radio station

Over the past few days there was also opportunity for discussion with Sergey Bubka and Valeriy Borzov, regarding the participation of Ukraine at the Krasnoyarsk 2019 Winter Universaide, as well as talking at length with former Olympic gold medallist high jumper Stefan Holm about the FISU Ambassadors Project. In addition, President Matytsin met with Alain Zobrist, CEO of Swiss Timing, whose company is responsible for timing and results management for many major events.

 The university sport house in its initial concept form

Whilst in Argentina, President Matytsin attended a series of meetings with FeDUA officials, including Alejandro Oscar Finocchiaro, Minister of Education, Culture, Science and Technology, Daniel Scioli, Parliament member and former Vice-President of the country and Carlos Mac Allister, National Sports Secretary.

Finally, President Matytsin accepted an invitation from Daniel Martinez, a member of the newly-created FISU Academic Advisory Board, to visit the National University of La Matanza in Buenos Aires. After a tour of the university’s sports facilities, the FISU President took part in a meeting with heads of sport departments from various Argentinian universities to inform them about FISU’s recent developments and the plans to work more closely with individual universities.

 FISU President Matytsin with the recently elected International Biathlon Union (IBU) President Olle Dahlin in Buenos Aires