ITTIGEN – The Swiss University Sports Federation (SHSV/SUSF) held its General Assembly in the “House of Sports” of the Swiss Olympic Association. As it was not an elective GA, the Swiss Students Sports Awards and the regular statutes related work were the most important topics of the assembly. 12 Swiss University Sports Organisations and the Swiss Academic Ski Club (SAS) were present at the GA in Ittigen near Bern.
President Andreas Csonka highlightened the involvement of the SUSF in the strategic work of the Swiss Olympic Association and the Federal Institute of Sport in Magglingen. Indeed, the SUSF is an important stakeholder in this process which was mainly launched after the 2012 London Olympic Games. He also said that SUSF is a strong partner of EUSA and FISU and supports, where ever possible, all the efforts undertaken by both student sports organisations. He presented also an update regarding a possible bid of SUSF and the Canton of Valais to host a Winter Universiade in the future. At the moment, due to elections in this canton and to the new strategy of Swiss sports, a bid seems more realistic for 2021 than for 2019. The delegates decided to participate both at the Winter and Summer Universiade 2015 in Granada and Gwangju.
Awarded athletes
Fredi Schneider, head of SUSF elite sports, presented the overall results of Swiss teams at some 13 World University Championships in 2012, where they won 5 gold, 6 silver and 3 bronze medals in orienteering, shooting and rowing. Renato Maggi, adjunct head of delegation for the 2013 SU in Kazan, gave an overview about the preparation of the Swiss team to this important event in Russia. Switzerland will send some 60 athletes in 10 sports and 40 officials to the Universiade in Kazan.
Daniel Studer, SUSF responsible for the EUSA showed the participation of the Swiss Universities at the 1st EUG in Córdoba. 83 athletes, 4 referees and 18 officials in 6 sports, representing 6 universities, were present in Córdoba. At the moment Switzerland has already registered 11 teams from 7 different Universities for the 2013 EUC in Futsal, Badminton, Beach Volleyball, Volleyball, Table Tennis and Golf. Normally some more teams will be selected soon.
Leonz Eder, Andreas Csonka & Roger Roth
The GA presented the Swiss Students Sports Award 2012 to Martin Hubmann, double medal winner at the WUC Orienteering, and distributed some gifts also to all the other WUC medal winners from Orienteering, Shooting and Rowing. Reto Schild, University of Berne, was awarded Honorary member of SUSF, and finally, SUSF Managing director and FISU Vice-President Leonz Eder thanked President Andreas Csonka for his outstanding contribution to Swiss University Sports.
(Source: SUSF)