Gastão Englert, President of the International Fistball Association (IFA), was awarded the prestigious Pierre de Coubertin Medal in 2015 by the International Pierre de Coubertin Committee (IPCC), honoring his commitment to promoting sport as a tool for education and human development.
The medal, named after the founder of the modern Olympic Movement, recognizes individuals who actively embody and advance the core Olympic values of Friendship, Respect, and Excellence. Englert received the award from Prof. Dr. Norbert Müller, then President of the IPCC and a long-time supporter of his work.
Looking back, Englert describes the moment as pivotal. “It was an indescribable experience,” he said. “This medal is ours. It represents everyone who has walked this path with me.”
Following the recognition, Englert was invited to participate in the “Master in Olympic Studies” program at the German Sport University Cologne in Germany. The academic program provided theoretical grounding for ideas he had already been implementing in practice. “Sport shapes determined, critical, constructive and dedicated individuals,” Englert explained. “It builds teamwork, character and responsibility.”
For more than 20 years, Englert has worked across fistball and tennis in both competitive and educational contexts. As an athlete and coach, he has won 11 world championship titles at club and national level. Yet for him, success is measured by more than trophies.
“Sport extends far beyond the four lines of a field,” he emphasized. “Before speaking about Olympic Education, I must live respect, excellence, Fair Play, the Joy of Effort and balance in my own life. Otherwise, it remains theory.”
A major part of that philosophy was shaped through his long-standing involvement with Fundação Tênis in Brazil, where structured tennis programs have supported more than 4,000 children and adolescents from public schools, promoting education, health, and social inclusion.
Since December 2021, Englert has fully dedicated himself to fistball administration. As President of the International Fistball Association, he has focused on athlete-centered development, gender equity, diversity, and governance reform, with the long-term ambition of achieving Olympic recognition for the sport.
Quoting Pierre de Coubertin’s guiding principle—“See far, speak frankly, act decisively”—Englert underlines that the journey in sport is collective. “Ultimately, it comes down to being human with one another, caring for each other, and being present for one another in a constructive and ethical manner.”
The Pierre de Coubertin Medal, he insists, is not a personal accolade, but a shared milestone in a broader mission to use sport as a transformative force in society.
