FISU Press Conference in Paris: Belgrade 2009 Update
December 6th, 2008
Mr. Jovanovic, Mr. Illic, Mr. Killian, Mr. Gallien, Mr. Saintrond & Mr. Eder
Mr. Illich & Mr. Killian
The international financial crisis has affected the economy worldwide. It is no secret that this economical setback has also hit the world of sports and in particular the international university sport. In that respect, the Organizing Committee of the 2009 Summer Universiade in Belgrade saw its budget restricted and had to cancel the majority of the ten optional sports it had initially proposed. FISU and the Belgrade OC took the opportunity of the EUSA 10th General-Assembly, staged at the French NOC headquarters in Paris, France to address its European member associations and the international media to nib the negative rumours in the bud.
FISU President George Killian and the top executives of the Belgrade OC, Mr. Illic and Mr. Jovanovic, confirmed the commitment of the Serbian Government and the re-arranged Organising Committee to bring the games to a good end. The OC arranged all internal problems. It was confirmed today that a number of team sports will move outside Belgrade and will be hosted in a number of additional cities, the most distant no more than 90 km away. The OC delegates assured that this will not cause any transportation problems. The Athletes’ Village is nearing conclusion, almost 90 % is finished. The broadcast schedule has been defined and the volunteer program is running full throttle as the OC database counts more than 5,000 volunteers who signed up to welcome and help the student-athletes next year in Belgrade.
‘Our members need without doubt continue their preparation for the Belgrade Universiade as they should attend the games’, President Killian plead. ‘Although a number of optional sports were sadly cancelled, Belgrade will still be a full bred Universiade with the 13 compulsory sports and 2 optional ones. I’m confident our Serbian friends will deliver. We will go to Belgrade!’
The international media were eager to have one-on-one interviews with the main speakers of the press conference
