Line up of the delegations
PORTO – No better venue than the beach to open the 7th World University Beach Volleyball Championship. Indeed, yesterday evening 22 July, the event was officially opened on the beach venue where the competitions will take place during the next 5 days. Besides the cultural programme of the opening, all the student-athletes, from 22 different countries, paraded in the main field.
Rúben Alves, President of the Organizing Committee, constituted by Federação Académica do Porto (FAP), Universidade do Porto (U.Porto) and Instituto Politécnico do Porto (IPP), addressed a few words to the participants wishing them a great competition, but also reminded that in this event everybody should have fun and meet people from different countries. The President of the OC also said that sport is an active promoter of world peace because in the competition there are no enemies, only adversaries.
Arrival of the FISU Flag
FISU Vice-President Luciano Cabral, in his short speech, highlighted the work that Portugal has developed in organizing international events. The FISU Board representative also acknowledged the work of all the volunteers and wished a great competition for all participants.
After the speeches, Sebastião Feyo, Rector of Universidade do Porto, declared officially open the 7th World University Beach Volleyball Championship.
Filipa Godinho, President of FADU, António Marques, Vice-President of IPP, and Guilhermina Rêgo, Vice President of Porto’s City Hall, also delivered a speech during the event.
Cultural programme
At the Opening Ceremony, a representative of the athletes took the fair-play oath and the FISU Flag was raised while everybody listened to the FISU Anthem.
At the end of the night, the spirit was full of enthusiasm and anxiety for the next days of competition.
LIVESTREAMING
You can follow the livestreaming of the matches here.
(Source: WUC Beach Volleyball)