Yuri Parfenov (right), with Oleg Matytsin, FISU First Vice-President, during the FISU Gala in Kazan
LAUSANNE – It is with great sadness that FISU learned of the death of Yuri Parfenov, one of the founding fathers of the World University Sport Movement.
Born in 1924 , Yuri Parfenov dedicated his life to university sport . In 1957, he became the first president of “Buruvestnik”, the Society of University Sports of the Soviet Union, and initiated the participation of Soviet student-athletes in international competitions.
He also played a leading role in the reunification of international university sport and participated with other nations of the Eastern block in the first “University Games” in Turin in 1959. After these “Games” and during the General Assembly of FISU, held on 7 September, 1959 he was elected vice- president of our federation. It is also at this meeting that it was decided to assign the name “Universiade” to our University Games.
Yuri Parfenov was also the Chairman of the Organizing Committee of the 1973 Summer Universiade in Moscow. Honorary member of FISU, Yuri Parfenov labored all his life for the development of university sports and his extraordinary professional skills remain an example for future generations.
He will be missed.