RIOU has launched its Sport Event Management programme — a series of tailored training courses targeting employees of The Association For International Sport for All (TAFISA) from around the world. The idea for the programme was put forward by the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) in 2019. The Russian International Olympic University (RIOU) took on the task of designing and delivering the courses, which are viewed as part of preparations for the TAFISA World Games that the ROC will be hosting in Nizhny Novgorod in 2024.
Initially, the courses were to be delivered at the RIOU campus in Sochi, but due to the coronovirus pandemic it was decided to shift to a digital model. The first group including 30 participants from 25 countries will study from 23 November to 2 December 2020. At the end of the programme all the participants will be taken on a virtual tour of Moscow, Sochi and Nizhny Novgorod.
ROC Director General Vladimir Sengleev said:
-“Unfortunately, because of the coronovirus pandemic we were not able to get together in Sochi and communicate with each other in the usual format. But online lectures are self-sufficient in terms of quality of teaching and the amount of information provided. I’d like to stress that the ROC attaches great importance to the professional development of coaches and specialists working at the national sports federations. In December, we are planning to launch an extensive educational programme to train anti-doping specialists”.
Inaugurating the programme, RIOU Rector Lev Belousov said:
- “Dear friends, I am delighted to welcome you to the training course delivered jointly by our university, the ROC and TAFISA. Here at RIOU you can not only study sports management but also connect with top-notch international experts and sports luminaries, and discuss with them any management related matters. Welcome aboard!”
The inauguration ceremony was also attended by TAFISA Secretary General Wolfgang Baumann. He said:
- “I am honoured to inaugurate this project with our colleagues from RIOU and the ROC. TAFISA can provide an excellent role model for other organisations that hold large sports events, so we were pleased to support the initiative by the Russian Olympic Committee to set up this training programme. I am very optimistic about the future, and I hope that, in due course, young sports managers from different parts of the world will make their valuable contributions to our work”.
