2009 WU Update: Invitation Ceremony
February 27th, 2008
The letter of invitation as it will be send to the FISU member associations
Today, February 27th, FISU President George Killian, who arrived in Harbin yesterday evening, witnessed the ‘Launching Ceremony of the Official Invitation and Intention of Participation Letter’ of the 24th Winter Universiade to be staged in Harbin, China from February 18th to 28th, 2009. The ceremony was presided by Mr. Yang Liguo, Sercretary-General of the Federation of Chinese University Sports and Vice-Secretary-General of the Harbin Organising Committee. ‘The Launching ceremony today signifies that the preparatory work has entered a critical phase. We warmly welcome all FISU Family members, member associations and non-member associations to take part in the Harbin 24th Winter Universiade and are looking forward to your presence', Mr. Yang said. After his opening speech he invited Mr. Guo Mingyu, Director-General of the Sports Department of the Harbin OC, to present the Official Invitation Letter to the members of the FISU Family and representatives of FISU Member Associations present. Then Mr. Zhang Xianyou, Vice Secretary-General of the Harbin OC and Vice-Mayor of the City of Harbin presented the invitation to the Harbin Post Office. Next, FISU President Killian was invited to comment on the situation so far. Mr. Killian told the Harbin Media that he was satisfied with the progress made by the OC and boasted that the 2009 Winter Universiade was going to be the best in FISU History. ‘I’m confident that the Harbin OC will make it happen’, Mr. Killian said. ‘Be sure to get your tickets in time. But you journalists are lucky, because you will be able to watch the games for free’, he joked with the many members of the press present. Mr. Cheng Youdong, Executive Vice-President of the Harbin OC and Vice-Governor of Heilongjiang Province closed the press conference with his speech. ‘Appointed by the Organizing Committee, Harbin Post Office is to undertake the delivery of Official Invitation, which has been carefully prepared and arranged with preferential offers, for which I wish to express our appreciation on behalf of Harbin Organizing Committee. The post Office is an envoy of peace and a bridge to strengthen ties between the Organizing Committee and FISU Executive Committee and member countries, shouldering not only glorious postal tasks, but also the important mission to disseminate friendship and promote mutual understanding. We sincerely wish the Post Office could do its best to ensure the smooth delivery of Official Invitations’, the Vice-Governor said. ‘We earnestly expect that more nations and regions will participate in Harbin 24th Winter Universiade and achieve good results, and contribute actively to the development of winter sports of world university students and friendship of people all over the world. Dear friends, Harbin warmly welcomes all of you!’
FISU President George E. Killian
Mr. Cheng Youdong, Executive Vice-President of the OC & Vice-Governor of Heilongjiang Province
