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FISU EC Meeting – Day 2

FISU 4 March 2016

 

 

 

 

 

BRUSSELS – The 2nd day of the FISU Executive Committee meeting in Brussels started with the presentations of the progress reports of the upcoming major events.

Taipei City delegation

Marc Vandenplas, SU Director and Zhao Jing, SU Manager presented their internal report on the preparation of the 2017 Summer Universiade host Taipei City. They were followed by the delegates of the 2017 SU Organising Committee presenting their progress report. Stepping into the year of 2016, the Summer Universiade in Taipei is turning from its planning phase into readiness phase and all preparation works are being conducted in tight schedules. A new CEO, Ms. Lichiung Su (also the Taipei City Government Secretary General), has been recently nominated as well and she is heading the delegation present at this EC meeting. An overview was given of the new organizational structure with currently 383 staff members. The OC has been very active in 2015 with attending the Gwangju Universiade observer programme and debriefing. There has been a complete action plan readjustment and plan cooperation between Functional Areas and a complete meeting structure readjustment. So far the 2016 workforce plan and 2016 finance plan has been completed. Furthermore, an overview was given of all accomplishments of the different departments and insight was given in the next phase of the preparations with the 1st Supervision Committee inspection coming up in May, the completion of the venue operation plan and the main operation centre plan. Test events will start in August. In October the OC will host the next meeting of the FISU Executive Committee. Next the Organising Committee of the Universiade Conference gave an overview of its preparation progress. The Conference will be hosted at the University of Taipei from 27 to 29 August 2017.

Almaty delegation

The WU Dept. staff presented their internal report on the progress of Almaty’s preparations of the Winter Universiade in 2017. Next the OC delegates of the Kazakh host city took the floor to present their progress report. In October 2015, Asset Abdualiyev was appointed as the new General Director of the OC and all competition and venue managers were appointed as well. A new government supervisory board was established and all key functional operational plans are developed. Mr. Abdualiyev confirmed that the Visa free regime for participants is in progress. So far the OC organised two test events in February (the national Universiade and the FIS Ski Jumping World Cup). In the last month, a major corporate sponsor was signed and talks are under way to sign more. As of 28 January, 54 countries are registered to participate in the WU. The Athletes’ Village will have a capacity for 5,000 people and its stage of construction is 60% completed. Also, the construction progress of the new venues is on schedule. On Astana Square, in the middle of the centre a temporary venue for Big Air and Areals will be erected. This will be a first for FISU, experiencing these competitions in a city centre. Volunteer recruitment is also on schedule with some 3,700 applications received. The competition schedule has been composed as well.

Krasnoyarsk delegation

After the coffee break, the WU Dept. returned to the stage to present its internal report on the progress of the preparations of the 2019 WU OC. Next the OC delegates of Krasnoyarsk 2019 presented their progress report. Within the period of July 2015 and February 2016, planning activities of all functional areas were carried out. A full list of test events is under consideration but in the meanwhile two are already known, i.e. the 2017 World Ski Orienteering Championships and the 2018 FISU Forum. A first main sponsorship contract was signed with Norilsk Nickel as General Partner. Also a Cooperation Agreement with ITAR TASS for information coverage and publicity of the preparation for the Games in Russia was signed as well as a Cooperation Agreement with Match TV for the development of the Broadcasting Concept, the preparation of the broadcasting infrastructure in all the venues and the establishment of the International Broadcasting Center. In the next six months more progress is expected with the regulatory and legal support of the Games delivery, the development of operational plans for functional areas and venue operation plans, planning of test events and the competition programme, edition of the Operation Transportation Master Plan of the Universiade, construction of the new venues will start, as well as the composition of the draft for the Universiade cultural programme and the marketing strategy implementation.

The Naples delegation

The SU Dept. presented its evaluation visit of Naples, candidate to bid for the 2019 Summer Universiade. Next the delegation of Naples officially presented the candidature of Naples and Campania as host of the 2019 Summer Universiade. The delegation presented a video capturing the strong points for holding the FISU Universiade in Naples in 2019. “It’s a great opportunity for the country with the uniqueness and the historical values of Campania and Naples”, CUSI President Lorenzo Lentini commented. There are six million inhabitants in Campania, and sixty million in the whole of Italy, this means that one out of ten Italians lives in Campania”, Fulvio Bonavitacola, Deputy President of the Campania Region added. “The Campania culture is a fundamental part of the Italian culture. We will do our outmost for the success of the games if they are attributed to us. We have taken this obligation and will live up to it.” A letter of intention was signed by FISU to attribute the 2019 Universiade to Naples if a number of conditions will be fulfilled in the next months.

The 2021 WU Lucerne Bidding Committee

Next the WU Dept. presented the findings of its evaluation visit to Lucerne, bidding city for the 2021 Winter Universiade. The evaluation was followed by the bid presentation of Lucerne. Guido Franz Graf, Cantonal Councillor of Lucerne and President of the WU Bidding Committee addressed the FISU Board: Central Switzerland is the cradle of the Swiss Confederation. Thanks to its mountainous landscape, it is also one of the cradles of winter tourism and winter sports. This is why we are presenting our bid with the motto ‘welcome home.” Urs Hunkeler, Bidding Committee member presented all venues and cantons to the FISU EC. The concept of our bid is based on existing venues and installations, a wide experience of staging winter sport events and the huge pleasure to welcome guests in our city and mountains!”, Mr. Hunkeler closed his presentation. “We are delighted about the huge opportunity to present our work internationally, and work with this motivated bid committee – and hopefully soon organising committee”, Jorg Schild, the Swiss NOC President commented. “The Winter Universiade 2021 in Lucerne / Central Switzerland will be a catalyst not only for several development projects for Swiss Sports and Swiss University Sports, but also for Swiss Tourism and society overall. And the Universiade will be a symbol for education and sport as key ingredients for the future success of Switzerland! We will be proud to be your host in 2021!”, Andreas Csonka, the NUSF President added.

FISU President Matytsin with Lucerne Councillor Guido Franz Graf

After a short deliberation by the FISU Board, the 2021 WU was attributed to Lucerne and Central Switzerland. “I am very happy we could attribute the 30th edition of the FISU Winter Universiade to Lucerne. Hosting our games in Switzerland is a bit like playing a home game, as FISU has its Headquarters in Switzerland”, FISU President Oleg Matytsin commented. “We are very much enchanted with the bid Lucerne presented, since it focuses on sustainability, know-how and tradition. What’s also praiseworthy, is the fact that a whole region, i.e. Central Switzerland, will be involved, spreading the games and the clean university sport spirit while involving many people and a great number of students. There’s a whole lot of truth in their slogan ‘Welcome Home!’.”

“I am pleased the Winter Universiade will return to Switzerland. Let’s not forget that Switzerland hosted the 2nd Winter Universiade in Villars in 1962, that’s a long time ago”, FISU Secretary General/CEO Eric Saintrond added. “FISU is confident these games will be very well organised as the Swiss are experts in winter sports and the venues already exist. The Swiss University Sports Federation is a very active FISU member association. Bringing this bid to a successful attribution is once again proof of their strong commitment and involvement in the international university sport movement.”

With the attribution of the 2021 WU, the EC meeting came to an end. The next meeting will take place in Taipei City in October.

 

C. Pierre, Press Officer