MEFS Celebrates Its 100th Birthday
March 29th, 2007
FISU Secretary-General Roch Campana (r) presents MEFS President Dr. Frenkl (l) a gift
On Sunday March 25th, MEFS, the Hungarian University Sports Federation celebrated its 100th birthday. FISU was represented by its Secretary-General Roch Campana, Director-General Eric Saintrond and Executive Assistant Hedwige Hankart. EUSA was represented by its President Alberto Gualtieri. The Hungarian state was represented by State Secretary of Sports, Mr. Gábor Elbert. A speech was also given by Mr. Jenõ Kamuti - President of the International Fair-Play Committee, General Secretary of the Hungarian Olympic Committee and former Olympic and Universiade champion in fencing. As a centenarian, MEFS has witnessed the evolution of the University Sports Movement from up close and has been privileged to play an important part in its history. A true pioneer, MEFS staged the World University Games, the precursor of the ‘Universiade’, twice in Budapest – in 1935 and 1954. Then, in 1965 it hosted the Summer Universiade, in Budapest again. In 1986 our Hungarian friends hosted their first World University Championship and since then MEFS regularly staged a World University Championship – handball, futsal, squash, table tennis (twice) and orienteering (twice). A very active federation indeed, and it continues to be so as in 2010 MEFS will host the 20th WUC Handball. Not only is MEFS active in organizing FISU events, the federation also delegated some of its members to the highest ranks of the FISU Family in the past, but also in the present: Géza PETRICH (assessor), György VINCZE (CIC member), László KUTASSI (CESU member), József GYENGE (CIC member), Gyöngyi FÖLDESI (CESU member), Csaba HÉDI (CIC member) and last but not least Róbert FRENKL (assessor and honorary member).
