FISU History

FISU

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FISU History

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The Precursors

At the beginning of the 19th century, competitive sport took its first steps, guided by the father of the modern Olympics, Baron Pierre de Coubertin. It was in the United States, England and Switzerland that the first inter-university meets were held. They gradually led to the emergence of university sports associations, the first of which came into being in the United States in 1905. The International Confederation of Students was established in 1919 and it was this organisation's Sports Committee that launched the first World University Games in 1923.

The Beginning

Jean PetitjeanFISU's origin goes back to the 1920s when Frenchman Jean Petitjean organised the first 'World Student Games' in Paris, in May 1923. The following year, the International Confederation of Students (ICS) associated itself with this movement. From 1925 to 1939, many great sporting events were organised by the students and the ICS: in Prague (1925), Rome (1927), again in Paris (1928), Darmstadt (1930), Turin (1933), Budapest (1935), Paris (1937), Monaco (1939). The Second World War interrupted these meets, but when peace was restored, France re-launched the World University Games.

1949: Creation of FISU

Dr. Paul SchleimerPeace was relative, and the shadow of the cold war soon divided university sport. In 1946, the International Students Union (ISU) was created in Prague to pursue the works of the International Confederation of Students, and it organised the 9th World University Games in 1947. In 1948, the International University Sports Federation (FISU) was created under the impetus of Paul Schleimer of Luxembourg, and it launched the International University Sport Weeks in 1949 in Merano, Italy. Other editions followed: in Luxembourg (1951), Dortmund (1953) and San Sebastian (1955). In 1957, the French federation organised a World University Sports Championship which brought together students from the Eastern and Western blocks. From this meet arose the desire to organise a universal event in which students from all over the world could participate.

First Universiade

Dr. Primo NebioloIn 1959, FISU and the ISU agreed to participate in the games organised in Turin, Italy, by CUSI, the Italian Student Sports Association. These 1959 games were baptised the 'Universiade'. A flag with a 'U' surrounded by stars was created, which was to begin its journey around the world. National anthems at medal ceremonies were replaced with 'Gaudeamus Igitur'. The Universiade in Turin was a success for the local Executive Committee, as well as for the man who was to change the future of the university sports movement: Dr. Primo Nebiolo. During this Universiade, which brought together 43 countries and 1,400 participants, many non-member federations applied to become members of FISU. FISU then defined its philosophy in Article 2 of its statutes by stipulating: 'FISU pursues its objects without consideration or discrimination of a political, denominational or racial nature'. From then on, FISU was to organise the games at a worldwide level.

From 1959 to 2019

FISU has organised 29 Summer Universiades and 29 Winter Universiades every two years, in the even-numbered years. FISU has organised more than 350 World University Championships in the even-numbered years. The FISU Educational Programmes has conducted more than 30 seminars, forums and conferences.

The Expansion of University Sport

Ever since, the Universiades have continued to attract more and more participants. Starting with a total of 1,407 participants in Turin, Italy, in 1959, the Universiade saw a total of 6,757 participants from more than 165 countries in Beijing, China, in 2001, and 6,643 participants from 174 countries in Daegu, Korea, in 2003. The highest number of participants was registered at the 2013 Summer Universiade in Kazan, Russia - with 11,759 athletes representing 159 countries. The Winter Universiades began with 98 athletes in the games in Zell-Am-See, Austria, in 1958, and went onto record 2,668 participants from 52 countries came to the Winter Universiade in Trentino, Italy, in 2013.

The expansion of university sport around the world created a need for newer meets and competitions, to complete the FISU sports programme. FISU launched the World University Championships in the early 1960s. Over 50 years, more than 300 Championships have been organised, covering a large range of events that are almost always different from the Universiade sports. Meant to guarantee continuity in the competition programme, these Championships take place during even-numbered years and experience increasing success year upon year. They allow a large number of students and university sports leaders to get together on occasions other than Universiades. The Championships celebrated their 50^th anniversary in 2013 and in 2018, 33 stand-alone World University Championship events across countries and continents made for a calendar full of quality competitions.

The 2019 edition of the Summer Universiade will be held in Napoli (Italy) and the 2019 Winter Universiade was held in Krasnoyarsk (Russia). The FISU Universiades give student-athletes an opportunity to come together from all around the world, in a spirit of understanding and peace, and also with a view to obtain results at high technical level. Follow the timeline below to see FISU's major milestones.

1923

First 'World Student Games' in Paris