DUISBURG – It was a colorful festival of sport and culture. 25 years ago when the Summer Universiade held in Duisburg North Rhine-Westphalia in 1989. The Duisburg World University Games attracted some 3,000 student-athletes to the Ruhr metropolis. On the occasion of its 25th anniversary, celebrated yesterday, 28 October, the German University Sports Federation (adh) together with the city of Duisburg hosted a solemn reception at the Duisburg City Hall.
At this occasion, guest speaker Prof. Dr. Andreas Hebbel-Seeger, Head of Media School at the University Macromedia on Campus Hamburg and silver medalist (rowing) at the Duisburg Universiade in 1989, pointed out the importance of university sports.
Also Till Luft, currently FISU Technical Delegate for Athletics and at that time the adh Secretary-General, recognizes how important the impulses emanating from such a large event like the Universiade have been for university sport in Germany and today he still looks back with special feelings to those hectic days in the Spring and Summer of 1989. “Indeed, when Sao Paulo in Brazil backed out of hosting the 1989 Universiade, the adh saw an opportunity to put together a reduced version in no time, hardly 153 days, and with our partners we put together a great event.”
Leonz Eder & Felix Arnold
The Mayor of Duisburg Sören Link, also confirmed the importance of the 1989 Summer Universiade for the sustainable development of sports in the city of Duisburg.
The celebration was attended by various persons who had key functions during the 1989 or who had participated. Finally there was a roundtable discussion regarding the future of major university sports events with Bernd Neuendorf, Secretary of State Ministry of Family, Youth, Culture and Sport of North Rhine-Westphalia; Leonz Eder, FISU Vice-President; Prof. Dr. Jürgen Gramke, former Association Director at Ruhr Municipal Corporation, and Michaela Röhrbein, director of the Centre for University Sports at Leibniz University Hannover.
FISU Vice-President Leonz Eder
“For putting together a successful Universiade in such a short notice, the decision-makers of that time, the OC, the local, regional and national authorities, the adh, the Volunteers, still deserve the highest recognition, praise, respect and gratitude”, FISU Vice-President Leonz Eder said in his speech. “With these words of thanks I also convey the warmest regards from FISU President Claude-Louis Gallien and FISU Secretary-General/CEO Eric Saintrond.”
(Source: adh)
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