2011 SU Update: FISU Conference – Day 2

The second day of the conference, attended by more than 350 participants coming from about 50 countries, started with a key note speech by Zhang Bigong, President of Shenzen University about Cultural difference between China and West from University Sports Education. His presentation helped the participants to understand the changes that have affected recently the Chinese model of the education in sports: from prescriptive education, which is strongly connected to the 5000 years old Chinese tradition and culture, unified courses and standardized examination to more self-decided courses and flexible examination. The reforms have been made in order to encourage students not only to practice sport at the university but also to help them to develop hobby for long-term physical exercise and strengthen body for long life benefits.

Next speaker, Lawrence D. Rink, chairman of the FISU Medical Committee gave an overview of the activities and projects that are carried out by the Medical Committee at FISU games. Ensuring medical care and assistance at such big international events involves many areas not directly connected to the medicine such as security, knowledge of languages and religious customs etc. Although there are 18 committee members specialized in various areas of medicine and health care, a close cooperation with the OC is a must. In Shenzen, there is an entire new hospital build inside a village with equipment and personnel ready to respond to all kind of needs. A 24 hours open pharmacy is operating inside the village; emergency numbers : 110, 120 are being clearly communicating to the head of delegations and Universiade participants. Apart these measures, FISU has developed monitoring program that allows predicting number of visits before even the Universiade is held.

In case of Shenzen the medical committee predicts 7000 medical visits: 50% injuries (including heat injuries) and 50% illness.

Anti-doping controls are also organised under responsibility of the medical committee whose chairman underlined the need for FISU to develop communication and education in that area.

Education of sports managers and staff appeared as a very important element in the presentation given by Margo Lynn Mountjoy. The topic Sexual harassment and abuse in sport: the team physician’s role has raised many questions and feedbacks in the audience.

It was demonstrated that first, the sexual harassment and abuse happens at all levels in sports, including children, youth and elite sport; secondly, passive attitude by people in positions of power in sports increases the psychological harm of the victims. There is a necessity to establish and introduce in the management system codes of conducts for sports managers and staff. Sport manager and especially sport physician, as his/her task is to preserve the health and welfare of the athlete, has ethical responsibility to play a role in the prevention, early identification and management of SHA in sports.

The last key-note speaker of the day, Professor Ren Hai from Beijing SportUniversity demonstrated how extensive social impact the Beijing Olympipc Games have left to Beijingand China. It helped to reshape the national cultural identity, provided unique organizational legacies and created Chinese model for organisation of mega-events. National Fitness Day set on 8th of August in commemoration of Beijing Olympic Games and National Human Rights Action Plan are one of the examples about how “Humanistic Olympics” had an impact on “Humanistic Beijing”. In the similar way “Green Olympics” concept is leading Beijing city development and national green economy. In 2009Beijing received the Award of Sport and Environment by IOC during a conference organised jointly with United Nations Environment Program. It was the first time in a history that such award has been attributed.

In the afternoon, oral presentations have been made during 5 parallel sessions dedicated to the following subjects: “Impact of great sports events, Olympic Games and Universiade”; “Education, ethics and sport”; “Healthy lifestyle promotion at the university: education, research and strategies for preventive and therapeutic intervention”; “Anticipating new practices and events in university sport”; “University sports industry: development through positive exploration” followed by a poster session during which about 100 posters have been presented.

(Source: Renata Bojczuk, CESU Member)

Dr. Lawrence Rink, Chair of the FISU Medical CommitteeMargo Lynn MountjoyProfessor Ren Hai