2017 SU & WU Update: Five Candidate Cities for the 2017 Winter and Summer Universiades

BRUSSELS – Five candidate cities have come forward to host the 2017 Universiades, i.e. two for the Winter Universiade and three for the Summer Universiade.

When the deadline for submission of a candidature to host the 2017 Universiades was reached on May 2^nd, five cities have come forward to bring FISU’s flagship events to their country.

Almaty (KAZ) and Trentino (ITA) will be bidding to host the 2017 Winter Universiade whereas Brasilia (BRA), Kocaeli (TUR) and Taipei City (TPE) will try to be awarded with the 2017 Summer Universiade.

‘FISU is pleased with the number of candidates who have come forward for hosting our major events’, FISU Secretary-General/CEO Eric Saintrond stated. ‘These five cities and their countries have given proof of being good organisers of big sporting events in the past and I’m confident that it will be a competitive challenge for all five candidates to bring the Universiade to their city and country.’

Almaty recently hosted the 2011 Asian Winter Games while Trentino is a well known place for snow and ice events. The bid committee is chaired by Olympic cross-country skiing champion and Member of Parliament Manuela Di Centa.

With the candidature of Brasilia, CBDU, the National University Sports Federation of Brazil tries to bring the Universiade back to its country after Porto Alegre in 1963. After Izmir (2005 SU) and Erzurum (2011 WU), Turkey is ready to host another Summer Universiade bringing forward the Koceali province where Izmit is the most important and a sport loving city, from motorsports to beach volleyball to even ice hockey. Taipei City, a previous candidate for the 2015 SU, is returning after its country gained quite some experience staging the 2009 World Games in Kaoshiung.

Delegates of the candidate cities will travel to the FISU HQ in Brussels where on May 18^th they will participate in a candidate workshop. Furthermore they will participate in the observer program during the 2011 Summer Universiade in Shenzhen this August. On September 30^th, they will return to the FISU HQ to deliver their bid book. In October and November the FISU Evaluation Committees will make their inspection visits. At the end of November the candidates will make their final presentations to the FISU Executive Committee at its meeting in Lausanne which will be followed by the attribution of the Universiades.

C. Pierre, FISU Press Officer