Humans of AISTS, Elias Smahi
As a Swiss attorney at law, I used to handle conflicts daily. However, for me, sport is unique in the sense that it can unite people regardless of their differences. Social status does not matter. Religion is irrelevant. As long as people cheer for the same athlete or team, they get along just fine.
I am no stranger to the passion of sport. Switzerland has been blessed with legends of the game such as Roger Federer, Martina Hingis and Stan Wawrinka, just to name a few. Their greatness has and will continue to inspire Swiss generations to practice sport.
Having played competitive tennis for more than twenty years, I have learned valuable lessons from sport, such as perseverance, discipline, and respect, which have helped me throughout my life journey. In this regard, I can easily say that sport was, is and will always be a part of me.
During my studies, I decided to combine my passion for law and sport, which is why I hold a Master Degree in Sport Law. This led me to work for FIFA Disciplinary Department in Zurich for a year and a half. This experience was an amazing opportunity, which confirmed my desire to pursue a sport-oriented career. However, in order to complete my training as a lawyer, I had to move back to my hometown of Geneva and step away from sport temporarily.
It did not take me long to realize that I missed working in sport law and, more generally, in a sport-related environment. For this reason, I decided to join AISTS to expand my knowledge of the sport industry. As exceptionally good as the curriculum is, I have found that the real value of AISTS lies in the people that I have had the chance to meet, whether they are my classmates, the staff or the alumni.
I cannot wait to see what the future holds for me, only hoping that it will be somehow related to sport.
This series is coordinated by Brontë Goodwin and Anna Serova from the MAS Class of 2023.
Learn more about the MAS Programme.
