Considered the cornerstone of the associative environment, volunteering is essential support for sport. In Geneva, more than 700 clubs benefit from the unconditional support of these enthusiasts: the volunteers. Through a series of reports, light is shed on three of them.
- Emily Harris, 22, at the helm of the Swiss badminton championships
- Olivier Indanda, the man who attracts Barça, Juve and Chelsea to Geneva
- Pierre Battaglini, the Marseillais serving Geneva sport
Emily Harris, 22, at the helm of the Swiss badminton championships
Back in Geneva after 15 years of absence, the Swiss Elite badminton championships took place over two weekends at the start of the year at the Queue d’Arve Sports Center. Organized by the Badminton Club of Geneva, the tournament brought together the 167 best players in the country. With the help of Swiss Badminton and the City, more than 50 volunteers made this tournament possible. Among them, the head of these “little hands”, Emily Harris, was in charge of volunteers for the first time at just 22 years old.
“It’s a real pleasure to be at the heart of the organization”
Olivier Indanda, the man who attracts Barça, Juve and Chelsea to Geneva
Four years after its last appearance, the CSI Talent Cup celebrated its 10th edition last February. The best under-11 junior teams on the continent flocked to Geneva for a weekend. All the foreign clubs arrived on site on Friday for the tournament: by bus, train or plane. A real logistical headache to manage for the co-president of the tournament, Olivier Indanda, who was nevertheless able to count on around a hundred dedicated volunteers.
“There is nothing really pleasant about it, but we find pleasure when we see that everything is working”
Pierre Battaglini, the Marseillais serving Geneva sport
Every year, thousands of volunteers contribute to the influence of the Geneva sports scene. Like Pierre Battaglini on the Run Evasion Rhône, these volunteers are the little working hands of the anthill, the heart of the reactor. Loyal to the post for 17 years, the native of Marseillais is responsible for the arrival at Dardagny which welcomes more than 1,500 runners on race day. Between the markings, the installation of advertising panels, the refueling, the distribution of t-shirts, security, traffic…the athlete has no time to be bored.
“When we share things with volunteers, they truly become friends”
In 2020, 41% of the permanent resident population aged 15 and over reported having carried out voluntary work (organized and/or informal) in the last four weeks, i.e. almost 3 million people. On average, they volunteered 4.1 hours per week. Source: OFS – Swiss Labor Force Survey (ESPA)
