“Sports volunteering is capable of uniting and helping the acquisition of attitudes and skills that not only serve for sports practice, but [can] also have an amazing impact on the daily life in society” says University Sports Federation of Peru (FEDUP) president David Timoteo Charo in a conversation with FVLA 2021candidate Rebeca Acasiete. This highlights how the skills acquired from sports and volunteering can help in professional and daily life.
At the present time in Peru there isn´t a volunteer academy but “In the second semester of the year 2021 we hope to finalise our implementation project of the FEDUP Volunteer Leaders Academy” says Charo about the future of sport volunteerism in the country.
Currently FEDUP is in a time of change and reorganisation due to the pandemic. It has improved the official website encouraging universities to participate in different e-sports tournaments, with volunteers having played an essential part since early 2020 in these new events, whether participating or hosting activities such as award ceremonies. “The Covid 19 pandemic changed the way we practice sports, the FEDUP, like all institutions, are governed according to the provisions of the Peruvian government” he added to explain changes not only impacting FEDUP but the world as well.
On the other hand, university sport hasn’t been able to hold face to face activities and athletes are awaiting a return to their fields of play to continue competition. “In the sense of the eventual return to classes and therefore to university sports activities, FEDUP has the capacity to adapt to the regulations and protocols that our government authorities have in place” says Charo about an eventual return to in person classes in 2022 due to the rapidly advancing vaccination campaign in Peru. “The FEDUP and the universities have excellent professionals to fulfil this objective” he affirms, expressing total confidence and faith in the organisation and universities.
With his years of experience in sports, Charo has seen Peruvian university sports develop, especially with the growth in participation of women. This has helped gender equality and the increasing female presence in Peruvian university sports has Charo saying “We believe, and we are sure, that university men and women are capable of practicing and competing in the same conditions”. He added, “At FEDUP we are taking care that this reality will find us more prepared for each competition, providing our young athletes with an atmosphere of harmony”. Gender equality is an issue Peru has been facing not only in the workplace but also in sport, and it is important for the FEDUP president to give new generations of athletes confidence that a great atmosphere of harmony and peace will be formed full of respect and equality.
The university sports federation of Peru has had a great trajectory over the years full of history and different events. It has been a very important organiation in the lives of university students and athletes, and is now changing due to the current situation. However, in conjunction with a large group of young volunteers, students, and athletes with minds full of ideas and initiatives, it will be able to adapt to the new realities that the world is witnessing.