Matytsin was speaking to delegates at the Association of International Olympic Committee (IOC) Recognised International Sports Federations (ARISF) General Assembly, which FISU took part in for the first time at SportAccord Summit here. 

More than 100 International Sports Federations met the FISU delegation in Thailand’s capital with the focus to drive positive change through sport internationally and dedicate to connecting and engaging event rights holders, host cities, media, industry and other organisations involved in the development of sport.

The FISU stand, organised in cooperation with 2019 Winter Universiade in Russian city Krasnoyarsk, was the location for a number of meetings.

Among those that visited the stand were International Gymnastics Federation President Morinari Watanabe and World Taekwondo counterpart Chungwon Choue.

Barry Maister, chair of the Olympic Education Commission, and Joon-ho Kang, director of the Dream Together Masters Programme at Seoul National University, also attended.

In keeping with FISU’s emphasis on education, SportAccord Summit also included a conference entitled "Uniting a Global Audience: Marketing and Sponsorship for the Future".

Among those speaking at the event’s Opening Ceremony, held at the Royal Thai Navy Convention Hall in Bangkok, was IOC President Thomas Bach.

During his address, Bach echoed a sentiment espoused by FISU, a founding member of SportAccord, that sport is a way to build bridges of understanding and cooperation among cultures and society.

"The principle decision is how to make progress, through isolation or engagement," he said.

"The answer of sport must always be engagement.

"Only then can you get your argument across, or in the case of sport, our values across.

"This is how bridges are built.

"Keep going, building these bridges even if sometimes it is not easy."

SportAccord Summit also saw Matytsin try out teqball.

FIFA World Cup winner Christian Karembeu of France is an ambassador of the sport.