Gwangju Mayor Kang Un-tae with the FISU flag
GWANGJU – The 2015 Gwangju Summer Universiade Organising Committee pledged to hold a successful games at the ‘D-680 Success Pledge Event’.
Since the handover of the FISU flag to the next host city in Kazan at the Closing Ceremony of the 2013 Summer Universiade, the city of Gwangju has been putting full efforts into a successful preparation for the 2015 Summer Universiade. The ‘Success Pledge Event’ was held in order to spread the atmosphere of participation as well as acquiring the consent of the citizens of Gwangju.
At the event, more than 500 guests were present including Kang Un-tae, Mayor of Gwangju city; Stefan Bergh, FISU Vice-President; Tegla Loroupe, UN Sports Ambassador; Laima Janusonyte, Vice-President of the International Sports Press Association (AIPS). Present as well were government officials, students, volunteers, and food, transportation, and lodging industry staff.
Mayor Kang commented about the Youth Leadership Program (YLP) being held in Gwangju since August 22nd and how the participation of the youths of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea could be seen as a positive sign for a joint Korean team at the 2015 games.
He also stated, “Now the countdown has begun for the Gwangju Universiade and the citizens are in the centre of its success. I encourage all to take part in making the Gwangju games successful with a mature civic awareness and participation level.”
FISU Vice-President Stefan Bergh
Also during the event, Stefan Bergh, Vice-President of FISU, gave a congratulatory address to those in attendance. He mentioned about the success of the Kazan Universiade and his expectations of the effort that Gwangju will make towards making an extraordinary Universiade in 2015.
He also mentioned that the Universiade is not only a sporting event but “an excellent possibility to communicate over borders, meeting friends from other countries and continents, to understand and learn more about other cultures and traditions”.
Tegla Loroupe, UN Sports Ambassador, and Laima Janusonyte, Vice-President of the AIPS, also gave congratulatory messages to the Gwangju citizens, encouraging them on preparing for a successful Universiade.
Other parts of the event included the entry of the FISU flag, brief on the progression for the games, D-680 countdown lighting ceremony, and student representatives giving their resolution pledge and promising their full participation for the preparation of a successful Gwangju Universiade.
(Source: GUOC 2015)
