MA News: National University Games of Brazil
June 12th, 2007
FISU Secretary-General Roch Campana, CBDU President Luciano Cabral & FISU President Geroge E. Killian
On June 10th, in Blumenau in the State of Santa Catarina, Brazil, took place the Opening Ceremony of the Brazilian National University Games – Olimpiadas Universitarias – JUBS 2007. The Sesi stadium welcomed the 5,000 spectators for the ceremony. No less than five members of the FISU Executive Committee and more than twenty members of the FISU Family, mainly presidents of the NUSF of America, but also NUSF representatives from Europe (Spain and Portugal), Africa (Angola) and Asia (P.R. China) were attending this event.
FISU President George E. Killian who took the floor during the official speeches was accompanied by FISU Secretary-General Roch Campana, FISU Treasurer Roberto Outeiriño and FISU Assessors Pedro Dias and Sinisa Jasnic and of course by Mr. L. Cabral the president of the NUSF of Brazil. Were also in attendance other members of FISU commissions such as Mr. A. Gualtieri Vice-Chair of the CTI Summer and CIC members Mr. C. Lopes, E. Ramirez-Lenci and Shen Zhen.
These Games are gathering 3,500 participants coming from the 26 States composing the country. The students will compete in 10 different sports. During the games, the athletes have two challenges, becoming Brazilian champions and being selected for the Universiade. The importance of the event was demonstrated by the presence of Mr. Julio Filgueiras, the National Secretary of Sports, Mr. Edgar Hubner, Events Manager of the NOC Brazil and Mr. Joao Paulo Klinubing, Mayor of Blumenau.
Blumenau is a city of 250,000 thousands inhabitants. The city has been created at the end of the XIX century by Germans. The main operation centre of the Organising Committee of these Games is located in the so called German Village (Vila Germanica) in the centre of the city. Many of the habitants are still speaking German and they celebrate the Oktoberfest that is the second largest one after the one in Munich, gathering every year more than one million visitors.
