Kazan - More than 100 volunteers from 91 countries and regions gathered on July 3rd 2017 for the FISU Volunteer Leaders Academy - 2017 international forum which will take place at the Volga State Academy of Sport and Tourism until July 8. The main goals of the forum are to create opportunities for studying and sharing best practice related to volunteer projects and programs for major international events, as well as securing an effective communication platform for the development of student volunteer communities. Experts from FISU, WADA, IOC and UNESCO will be invited to give lectures for the young volunteers.

President Matytsin praised the role of volunteers in sport and hoped that everyone in attendance would benefit from the inaugural event. A four-time world champion Yagudin who won gold at the 2002 Olympic Winter Games in Salt Lake City, said that volunteers were critical in ensuring major events ran smoothly.“Without volunteers, sport in the world would not be so successful.”

What is worthy of mentioning that the young participants from some of the Asian members also took part in the Academy. Volunteers are the unnamed heroes and a crucial sector to success. Without those enterprising and creative young people, it is impossible to host major international events so successfully. In turn, voluntary experience will be so useful for future university sports leaders -- improve teamwork and relational skills, reduce stereotypes and increase appreciation of other cultures. Hopefully next year, more and more Asian youth will make efforts to the volunteering work for the career of university sports.