The awarding of FISU’s highest award, the Jean Petitjean medallion, also happened today
TAIPEI – With the host city welcoming the world for the start of the 2017 Summer Universiade in one day’s time, the second day of the 35th FISU General Assembly focused on the upcoming Universiades.
There were signings of new sports partnerships and the awarding of FISU’s highest honour, the Jean Petitjean medallion. This lifetime achievement award to those who have helped move the university sports to great heights.
The contract signing for FISU Football World Cup is official
President Matytsin opened the final day of meetings between FISU members with a few words, expressing his enthusiasm for the sport and educational events to come, both here in Taipei and at the Universiades and World University Championship events.
“Yesterday we presented FISU’s vision for where we are focused to take university sports in the upcoming years,” Matytsin said. “We are all in this endeavour together, and nowhere is this more evident than in the host cities that will wave the FISU flag at future events like the Universiade.”
TAIPEI SUMMER UNIVERSIADE
If you’ve been around Taipei, a youthful energy around the Summer Universiade abounds. From the “For You, For Youth” campaign to the sports-themed subway cars to the ubiquitous Bravo the Bear mascot, its part-and-parcel in this bustling city.
Taipei’s Deputy CEO Shih-ming has been integral to the preparations of the Universiade
Taipei’s Deputy CEO Shih-ming You took members on a tour of the sports, culture and culinary delights of his city before turning to a look at the competition and training venues of the Universiade. You touched on non-competition venues like the Main Operating Centre and the International Broadcasting Centre before outlining the transportation plan, venue medical services and security measures to ensure this Universiade is done to the highest-stand.
You also touched on the important role technology and innovation play on the island. Athletes, officials and coaches can ride public transportation for free, all through a smart watch local organisers gave to delegation members.
KRASNOYARSK WINTER UNIVERSIADE 2019
Situated in the centre of Russia, the national sports and educational hub of Krasnoyarsk presented on what the Winter Universiade would look like in the heart of Siberia.
Krasnoyarsk 2019 Executive Director Maxim Urazov
Krasnoyarsk 2019 Executive Director Maxim Urazov presented the city’s plans for the event and highlighted the importance this would have on the region, not only for the sporting events, but the cultural and educational events as well.
As the next Universiade after Taipei, Krasnoyarsk is well on its way to welcome the world’s best university athletes in 11 sports. Organisers plan on 3,000 participants and officials from over 50 countries making their way to the city that sits on both banks of the Yenisei River.
All told, 22 sports venues will be used at this Universiade, which are spread across eight compulsory and three optional sports. The three optional sports will be freestyle skiing, ski orienteering and bandy.
This past March, Krasnoyarsk hosted its first test event in ski orienteering. “This helped us test many functional areas,” Urazov said.
In a nod to the organisers’ plans for continuing Krasnoyarsk’s sports event legacy after the Universiade, the city will host the 2019 Youth Bandy World Championship.
“In Krasnoyarsk, you will feel 100 percent real winter,” Urazov said at the end of his presentation. “Welcome to winter, welcome to Krasnoyarsk. You are all welcome to Krasnoyarsk next year.”
LUCERNE WINTER UNIVERSIADE 2021
FISU Vice-President Leonz Eder opened the Lucerne 2021 presentation with a short trip down memory lane to 1962 when the Swiss village of Villars hosted the second edition of the Winter Universiade. Eder spoke of the history of winter sports and the tradition of hosting events in these disciplines before handing over the microphone duties to Lucerne 2021 Managing Director Urs Hunkeler.
Lucerne 2021 Managing Director Urs Hunkeler spoke about the tradition and history of winter sport in the region
Hunkeler continued on the theme of Central Switzerland being the home of winter sport, noting that the 3rd Winter Youth Olympic Games will be in Lausanne in 2020 and that Sion is in bid proceedings for the Olympic Winter Games in 2026.
At Lucerne 2021, the sport programme will consist of eight sports. The Universiade Park, meanwhile, will be situated in the centre of the city, beside the University of Lucerne. “This will be the place to be,” Hunkeler said.
FISU Vice-President Leonz Eder began the Lucerne 2021 presentation
On the administrative side, Hunkeler said the organising committee is nearly complete.
“Welcome to Switzerland,” Hunkeler said to conclude the presentation. “Welcome home.”
WORLD UNIVERSITY CHAMPIONSHIPS AND LEAGUES 2018
CTI Chair Marian Dymalsk and FISU’s Paulo Ferreira gave an update on the World University Championships (WUC) programme side that was both a look back to the 2016 WUC season and showed their forward-leaning plans for 2018 and beyond.
FISU Championship director Paulo Ferreira introducing the new developments in his department
2016 was the most successful World University Championships season to date, with 33 events in 25 countries, and included new WUC host country Philippines. Three new sports were also added to the sport programme: sambo, ski orienteering and sport climbing. All told, nearly 6,400 athletes and officials took part in WUC events in 2016.
“We are trying to reach more countries, more universities and more continents with the World University Championship events,” Ferreira said.
During the presentation Ferreira also noted that the 3×3 FISU World University League finals were set to return to Xiamen, China from the 14-17 September.
NAPOLI SUMMER UNIVERSIADE 2019
At the Closing Ceremony in Taipei, the FISU flag will be passed onto the next Summer Universiade host, Napoli.
Italian University Sports Centre (CUSI) President Lorenzo Lentini, through the interpretation of Napoli 2019 colleague Annapaola Voto, said the city sitting in the shadow of Mount Vesuvius is ready to bring the Summer Universiade home for its 60th birthday.
Italian University Sports Centre (CUSI) President Lorenzo Lentini with Napoli 2019’s Annapaola Voto
A crucial turning point in the history of world university sport happened in 1959 when the first Universiade took place in Torino, Italy. Led by the vision of Dr. Primo Nebiolo, university sports turned back to a more international, inclusive environment. In the 60 years since, FISU has worked to build on this. The roots of FISU and Dr. Nebiolo’s vision of sport are central themes that Lentini drew upon throughout his verbal narrative.
Lentini spoke about the great sport venues, both inside the city of Napoli and within the Campania region of Italy. Listening to the CUSI President speak, you could see the tennis courts beside the deep blue waters of the Golfo di Napoli.
Lentini said that these great sport venues will be formatted for the Universiade with the help of the Italian Government, and the the organising committee is in the tender process for certain items, like the cruise ships that will be used to house the athletes in the city’s central port.
“We work day by day because we want this Universiade to be wonderful for the athletes and everyone else,” Lentini said.
VOLUNTEER LEADERS ACADEMY
Five future sports leaders are working the duration of the Universiade for the FISU knowledge management team. The interns earned their place on the FISU team through their performance at the FISU Volunteer Leaders Academy, a one-week major sport event skill-building course that had 110 attendees from 91 countries participate at in Kazan, Russia.
President Matytsin with three attendees from the FISU Volunteer Leaders Academy who earned their way to Taipei
President Matytsin called the three young sports leaders who had already arrived in Taipei to the front of the Assembly and showed a video of training courses and cultural events from the Academy. After the video, Academy attendee Anett Fodor of Hungary gave a short speech about her experience in Kazan to the Assembly.
FISU Awards
While FISU traces its founding steps to the 1949 launch of the International University Sport Week in Merano, Italy, the visionary who put international university sport in motion was Jean Petitjean. The Frenchman organised the first World Student Games in Paris in 1923, a precursor to the Universiade. It’s in Jean Petitjean’s name that FISU awards a medallion to those who have contributed greatly to university sport.
Former FISU Vice-Presidents Stefan Bergh speaks about the value of university sport to the delegates
Five individuals were awarded the medal and given honorary FISU member titles in Taipei. The five longtime leaders in university sport were: Claude Louis Gallien, Xinsheng Zhang, Stefan Bergh, Alison Odell and Hassan Chick.
President Matytsin with Alison Odell
COSTA RICA HAILED FOR DIVERSITY PROJECT
With a project chosen for its compassion and determination, Costa Rica will be officially presented as the 5th Gender Equality Award Winner at an equality roundtable event scheduled to take place inside the Athletes’ Village on 26 August.
BREAKING NEWS! FUSC AND FISU BEGIN HISTORIC PARTNERSHIP
Following the successful launch of intra-university competitions with 3×3 Basketball in 2015 it only made sense that FISU and a member federation would want to add another international university competition to its umbrella of events.
President Matytsin and the FUSC team during the announcement
Today, FISU and FUSC announced a partnership to bring the best of university football together for the FISU University Football World Cup.
Working in partnership with the Federation of University Sports of China (FUSC), this new endeavor allows both federations to further reach their core audiences with more sports competitions on university campuses.
More details about how teams can quality, first through national and then continental competition, into the FISU University Football World Cup finals are to come.
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