Rosario, Argentina. On Monday 6th September, fifty students from the Universidad Católica Argentina (UCA) visited the BDO FIH World Cup 2010 stadium. These students are enrolled in the CIES- FIFA Sport Management Course at UCA.
Economic realities vary from one country to another, making the matter of sport management difficult. A main objective of this course is to offer students important tools they can use for their management skills with their federation, association or club in accordance with the realities of Argentina. Thus, it is important to expose students to how the BDO FIH World Cup 2010 developed and functioned in Argentina.
The visit exposed students to many aspects of sports and event management of the BDO FIH World Cup 2010. This included a tour of the entire BDO FIH World Cup 2010 venue, speeches by Antonio von Ondarza VP FIH and PAHF President, Sergio Daniel Marcellini CAH President and Gaston Bel , CAH Manager and head organizer of the BDO FIH World Cup 2010, a presentation on medical issues, and meeting with local government authorities .
Mr. von Ondarza spoke of the success of the BDO FIH World Cup 2010, ‘I think this will be the biggest World Cup in Women’s Hockey history,’ but emphasized that it is something Argentina is not accustomed to. Thus, both Mr. Marcellini and Mr. Bel expressed how difficult such a ‘mega-event’ has been to organize in Argentina; and explained how collaboration with the city of Rosario is critical. Mr. Marcellini also explained to students that often for people outside Argentina, that ‘it is very difficult for one to understand because they are not able to walk down the street [here].’ Mr. von Ondarza spoke about the importance of local involvement, by stating ‘we are dependent on people that help us—people that love the sport.´
Thus, students heard how Rosario and the hockey community both inside and outside Rosario has supported and helped ensure the success of the BDO FIH World Cup 2010. Mr. Bel explained that ´An event by the FIH (International Hockey Federation) is a spectacle, not a club or local tournament, with a standard for hockey people. And so, people have to pay opposed to free events.” Furthermore, the students learned how important security, safety, and medical organization are for the BDO FIH World Cup 2010 and sports event management as a whole. In conclusion, the students learned a lot about sports management from the special opportunity that the BDO FIH World Cup 2010 provided them in their home country of Argentina.
Argentine students listen to speakers at the BDO FIH World Cup 2010
(Left to Right: Antonio von Ondarza, Sergio Daniel Marcellini, Laura Macchiotti, Gastón Bel (in blue))
