News
fisu universiade drawS to a sucCessful clOse in Napoli
The International University Sports Federation (FISU) ended its showpiece event in spectacular style last night. As well as a parade of the athletes and volunteers, the Napoli 2019 Universiade Closing Ceremony featured an impressive display from Chengdu 2021, organisers of the next Summer Universiade. More than 35,000 tickets were sold for the event in Napoli’s San Paolo Stadium.
Over the past 12 days, almost 6,000 student-athletes from 115 countries took part across 18 different sports. In addition, some 4,600 volunteers helped make the Universiade a success.
Following the Closing Ceremony, FISU President Oleg Matytsin said:
“When the Napoli Organising Committee agreed to host the Universiade, we had only three years to prepare. However, through a concerted team effort, we have achieved an unforgettable Summer Universiade here in Italy.
“The goal of FISU is to create the leaders of tomorrow and I know that everyone leaving Napoli will have gained a huge amount of experience they can take into their future careers. Whether they were competing or volunteering, the Universiade is a stage for young people to engage, learn and grow.”
FISU holds Summer and Winter Universiades every two years. The Summer Universiade is one of the biggest global multi-sport events and celebrated its 60th anniversary with this edition.
GAISF President Raffaele Chiulli attended Napoli 2019 in his home country, alongside GAISF Vice President Stephan Fox, and was impressed with the organisation and quality of sport on offer.
“This has been a wonderful example of how to succeed in organising multi-sport games,” President Chiulli said. “The passion and enthusiasm from the athletes, volunteers and fans have been infectious.
“It is full credit to the team at FISU and the Local Organising Committee for their tireless hard work in orchestrating such a great event. I have no doubt that the young people competing and volunteering will have gained many treasured memories from their time in Napoli.”
The next edition of the Universiade will be the winter competition in Lucerne, Switzerland in January 2021, while the next Summer Universiade will take place in Chengdu, China later that year.
For more information on FISU or the Universiade, please visit http://www.u.sport/.