PORTO – Kelly Blas, Head of Delegation of the Women’s Rugby Team from Guam was interviewed. Guam is on of the youngest FISU member associations.
– Why did you come? How was the trip?
The Guam University Sports Federation is a new federation and is now a member and arm of the Guam National Olympic Committee; in an effort to support women in sport, develop University Sports and to expand our competition pool the Guam NOC decided to approach our young women’s rugby team which consisted of university students and offer them the opportunity to compete in our first ever WUC. The trip was long, a total of 30+ hours and three different stops but with all the excitement the length of time it took to get to Porto was hardly noticeable.
– What’s the importance of university rugby in Guam? Why did you choose women’s team?
Rugby is now an Olympic Sport, getting our athletes exposed to different levels of competition is important to raise the level of competition locally. University Rugby gets our athletes out in international competition to challenge themselves and most importantly to participate and raise awareness of Guam. We chose this team because they are a young team and we want to continuously develop their skills and expose them to other styles of play.
– What are your expectations for the competition?
We are here to represent our island, it is the most important thing that any of Guam’s athletes can do. We’ve come to play our game and that is all we can expect out of ourselves.
– What’s your idea of the event so far?
First of all, the Organizing Committee and FISU have been an immense help and have been so accommodating, our team sends a big THANK YOU! We think they have done an amazing job and bringing us together for competition and we are impressed with the work they have done. With all the work that the Organizing Committee and FISU, it is sad that so many teams pulled out last minute, we had travelled so far for so long it was disappointing to learn of this.
– Overall idea of FISU and other events you’ll take part in?
I think that the work that FISU does is amazing. I was in Vigo, Spain last month for the 10th FISU Forum and was sincerely impressed by the turn out of nations represented and the work that the International, Regional and local organizations from the around the world are doing to promote sport.
Currently, we are talking with the Guam Amateur Wrestling Federation, about sending some athletes to the WUC in Torino, we will decide in the next week whether or not we will send a team and if the OC of the WUC Wrestling will accept our athletes, then we will head to Torino.
– When will we be having a WUC in Guam?
That’s a good question. The President of the Guam Rugby Union is here in Porto with us and I told him of the interest FISU has of Guam hosting the 2014 Rugby WUC. We are interested but we have to talk with our counterpart back in Guam it is not a decision easily made. Question is: if we host any WUC, will teams come to Guam?
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