XL, l'house organ di OPES anno 1, n°7, numero doppio agosto | settembre 2019 | Page 32

ENGLISH VERSION
Opes International
A new Sport season for Europe:
interview to Stefan Bergh
L ast June, with the Frankfurt assembly, a new season for European sport began. In the German town the
positions of the Executive Committee of ENGSO (European Non-Governmental Sports Organisxation),
the maximum European body that has as its objective the promotion of grassroots sport throughout
the “Old Continent” have been renewed. The main novelty concerns the change at the top. After
doing an excellent job throughout his term, President Carlos Cardoso (representing the National
Sports Confederation of Portugal) left the board of directors to Stefan Bergh of the Swedish Sport
Confederation. The newly elected president and his staff, which also includes our Sara Massini, the head
of the International Relations Department of OPES, will be called upon to work overtime to achieve all
the goals that have been set.
So to learn more about the new program and to understand the guidelines that will animate the new
European season of basic sport, we interviewed the ENGSO president, Stefan Bergh from Sweden.
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In the last years, sports sector had several changes
in many directions and this required to all sports
organizations to adapt to those changes. As a former
Secretary-General and actual president of ENGSO,
how do you think ENGSO respond to this and how is
working to adapt in the future?
S. B.: «It’s true that the world is changing rapidly, and
our sector hasn’t been able to fully keep up with the
pace. Sports clubs are facing a weaker membership
base, even though there is an ever growing demand
for physical activity, communities, and a meaningful life.
Sport can respond to many current challenges, from
social inequalities, loneliness, bullying and xenophobia to
diabetes and cardiovascular disease! ENGSO is creating
positive change from within the sports movement,
as well as outside of sport. With our events, such as
the European Sport Platform, and our projects, such
as ASPIRE and CHAMP, we are creating new ways and
sharing best practice that help sport e.g. attract new
target groups and recruit volunteers. With our lobbying
activities, we are advocating for European policy and
funding tools that help sports organisations tackle the
challenges they are facing. Our objectives can be found in
the ENGSO Policy Programme».
What, in your opinion, is the most important added
value that ENGSO brings in Europe and why new
members should be interested in taking part in the
platform?
«The European Non-Governmental Sports Organisation
(ENGSO) is the European Sports NGO and the leading
voice for voluntary-based sports. We are the only
organisation bringing together the national sports umbrella
organisations with the aim of promoting grassroots
sports - currently 
our members 
are National Sports
Confederations and National Olympic Committees from
33 countries. With the mission to represent, develop and
advocate for voluntary-based sport in Europe, we aspire
to grassroots sport that builds stronger communities. We
are using our strong mandate for advocating for European
policy that enables a thriving civil society of sport and the
modernisation of the sports movement. The results of
our work become tangible with e.g. our projects, where
our members have the opportunity to develop their
own organisation and activities. We are defending the
independence of sport as a civil society movement at a
European level. Our events facilitate networking and the
exchange of good practices, fulfil educational purposes
as well as encourage debate on current sports-related