For Federica Comazzi, sport reveals a social truth: no one achieves fulfillment alone. In every team, as in every community, a person flourishes when they collaborate, support, and allow themselves to be supported.

Federica Comazzi has played rugby at a competitive level, although she initially practiced classical dance. She is pursuing a PhD in Exercise Science and Sports, having previously studied Education, Pedagogical Counseling for Disability and Marginality, and Sports and Psychosocial Intervention. Most notably, Federica Comazzi is the president and international coordinator of “Sportmeet for a United World”: an international network of athletes and sports operators established in 2002, which embodies the spiritual and social renewal that is at the core of the Focolare Movement’s experience. The aim of this organization, involved in various social projects around the world, is to promote the culture and practice of sport to build peace and universal fraternity.

Sportmeet connects men and women of all ages, cultures, ethnicities, languages, and religions who engage in sports activities for an integral growth of the human person, the community and a united world.

Federica, how was everything born?

In the early 2000s, a new vision of sport was beginning to emerge internationally, particularly in Europe, rediscovering its educational value beyond that of entertainment. It is no coincidence that this period saw the establishment of the Educational Year of Sport. In this context, Sportmeet was born, with its first congress that took place in 2002.

Who is a part of it?

People who work in the sports field or who are simply passionate about sports. Athletes, coaches, and athletic trainers, united by the desire to spread the culture of peace and universal fraternity—as stated in Article 1 of the Declaration of Human Rights—through and within sports. Sport is a wonderful vessel that can be filled with good or bad fruits. Sportmeet has evolved over time without ever abandoning the vision of sport as a meeting place for people with diverse backgrounds, cultures, religions, and languages. These individuals share a common desire to find in sports a common language to build dialogue with the aim of creating a different, better world, founded on peace and universal fraternity.

A key word, as the name itself suggests, is “meeting.” Right?

Sport is one of the spaces where relationships are most often born. We can certainly define it as a place of meeting. Hence the name Sportmeet, with the idea of meeting based on the golden rule: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” This value enhances the daily lives of every person and transforms societies into communities. This differentiates the experience of Sportmeet from other ways of understanding sport, where violence, racism, excessive money, or simply competition taken to extremes can enter.

So, how is competition experienced within Sportmeet?

Competition is useful, let’s be clear, but it should be a tool for growth. It should not be lived in an extreme way, according to the logic of the supremacy of the stronger over the weak. It must not negate the other. Without the other, I cannot reach my goal, and vice versa. Without a second place, there is no first. It is a challenge that is as difficult as it is important. Sportmeet promotes events centered around these values to enrich the dimension of sport. As I said, sport is a vessel, and these are the best things with which to fill it.

How important is it to convey this idea of sport to the youth?

As an educator and from my years of experience as a coach working with children — especially very young ones — I have found that sports education for new generations is very important. At that age, there is a tremendous capacity to absorb messages. A very fertile mental elasticity. Sometimes it is the children and youth themselves who offer us messages that we adults struggle to live normally because we are stuck in our positions. It is wonderful to see the development of friendships through sport. I don’t mean the group that goes out to have fun (although lightness and fun are important among the youth and are part of growing up), but the development of relationships for mutual support. The educational dimension of sport is important and should be valued, but it arises from a precise vision of sport, which is not taken for granted. If there is no genuine educational action behind it, a clear vision and educational planning, sport can also lead to results very far from those promoted by organizations like Sportmeet.

Another concept that resonates clearly in the idea of Sportmeet is that of being together. Do you agree?

Drawing from my experience, I would say that—especially in team sports—playing it alone gets you nowhere, while unity is strength. For example, in rugby, I cannot score a try by myself. There are 15 players ready to bring me down. The support of my teammates is essential, and it’s beautiful to experience how personal and common goals coincide. The group becomes a support for the individual, and the individual becomes a support for the group. Thus, sport is truth, and for this reason, it is also a social metaphor in a society that tends toward individualism. The experience of sport helps us understand the importance of the person in relation to others, as a valuable element of a community.

The life of Sportmeet has naturally intertwined with that of R4unity, which will celebrate its 20th anniversary in 2025. What connects these two vibrant realities?

Run4unity has a great ability to bring together the youth from all over the world through local communities. It originates from this, and Sportmeet’s presence in these communities has made it a catalyst for many local events. The two organizations go hand in hand. We can say that the existence of R4unity relies on Sportmeet and vice versa. Both share the same vision of sport, and over the years, many successful events with significant media coverage have been organized. Not only in Italy but throughout Europe, particularly in Serbia and Croatia, this relationship between Sportmeet and Run4unity has been fostered. Not to mention the experiences in Argentina, Brazil, Ecuador and Bolivia. In these countries, projects have emerged through the further collaboration of R4U and Sportmeet with the non-profit organization AMU, leading to the construction of schools.

What power does sport have to build harmony among people?

A great deal, and again, to fully understand it, one must experience it. I am fortunate to do this every day on the field. Everything comes down to commitment, which can sometimes become a very challenging test, as one encounters difficult situations. Beyond these challenges, and even through them, one discovers the great universal language of sport. The physical effort and the sacrifice of an athlete to achieve athletic effectiveness connect them to both their teammates and opponents: both are part of a shared journey toward a goal, each with different roles. My opponent and my teammate push me to give my best. Then, that search for harmony within one’s own team and everything learned from sport can be applied in everyday life.