Five Candidates for 2019 Universiades confirmed

LAUSANNE – FISU, the International University Sports Federation proudly announces the official candidates for the 2019 Universiades.

Three cities have confirmed their official candidature for the 30^th edition of the Summer Universiade in 2019. Coincidently, the three candidate cities are the capitals of their country and their name starts with the letter ‘B’, i.e. Baku, Azerbaijan; Brasilia, Brazil and Budapest, Hungary and all boast sites that feature on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

BAKU

Baku hosted its first FISU event in 2012 with the 5th World University Boxing Championship. It is no secret that Baku wants to be an important player as host of big international sporting events, bidding for the 2020 Olympics and hosting the U17 Women’s FIFA World Cup just recently while staging the 1st European Games in 2015. Baku also hosted the 2005 World Rhythmic Gymnastics Championships and the 2007 and 2009 European Rhythmic Gymnastics Championships. The 2011 AIBA World Boxing Championships were staged in Baku as well which served as a qualifier for the 2012 Olympic Games in London and more than 685 athletes participated. Also, for the last two years, the IFJ has been putting its confidence into Azerbaijan to host one of its major tournaments: the Judo Grand Prix in Baku.

BRASILIA

Brasilia returns to bid for the Universiade after losing to Taipei City the attribution of the 29^th Summer Universiade in 2017. Brazil is a very active FISU member which hosted a number of World University Championships in the last decade, while Porto Alegre hosted the 3^rd edition of the Summer Universiade in 1963. With its bid, Brazil tries to bring the Universiade back to the American continent since 1993 (Buffalo, USA) adding the Universiade to two other major events on Brazilian soil, the FIFA World Cup in 2014 and the Olympic Games in 2016.

BUDAPEST

Budapest is no stranger to the International University Sport Movement either. In 1935 it hosted the 6^th International University Games and in 1965 it staged the 4^th Summer Universiade. Moreover, the Hungarian member association of FISU is a very active one, hosting World University Championships on a regular basis. Budapest also hosted the 2006 and 2010 European Aquatics Championships, the 2004 European Women’s Handball Championship, the 2000 World Fencing Championships and the 2004 European Judo Open Championships. The city was also the host of three IAAF European Athletics Championships, latest in 2012 and UEFA Futsal Championship was held in 2010 in Budapest. This year, the Hungarian capital will host the European Judo Championships from 24th to 28th April 2013 and the Figure Skating and Ice Dance European Championships from the 30th December until the 1st January 2014.

Regarding the 29^th Winter Universiade in 2019, the FISU headquarters received the confirmation from two candidates, i.e. Krasnoyarsk, Russian Federation and Valais, Switzerland.

KRASNOYARSK

Not having hosted a Universiade since Moscow 1973 (7th Summer Universiade), Russia has been in the news quite often these days with the preparation of the 27th Summer Universiade this July in Kazan. The Universiade has received the same status of importance by the Russian authorities as the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. Now, Siberian city Krasnoyarsk wants to bring the Universiade to a region were no FISU events have been organised so far. Krasnoyarsk is the largest industrial and cultural centre of Eastern Siberia, and capital of Krasnoyarsk Territory, the second largest region in Russia by area with, amongst other sport venues, a top-notch Biathlon Academy.

VALAIS

Switzerland is well-known to FISU. Besides hosting the FISU seat in Lausanne, the Swiss FISU member association is a very active one and has been staging the 2^nd Winter International University Games in Davos in 1930, the 4^th Winter International University Games in St. Moritz and the 2^nd Winter Universiade in Villars in 1962. The Swiss are also regular organizers of World University Championships. In 2019 the Swiss want to bring the FISU Family to Valais. The canton of Valais lies in the South-West of Switzerland, stretching for 150 km along the narrow ribbon of the Rhône Valley between Lake Geneva and the Rhône Glacier.

‘We are very pleased with these five candidates’, FISU President Claude-Louis Gallien commented. ‘Once again it is proof that University Sport is very much alive and cities are eager to host our flagship events to welcome and to share the University Sport spirit of Excellence in Mind and Body.’

The bidding cities now have time to enter their candidate dossier for September 14th. In the middle of May, FISU will hold the seminar for Bidding Cities executives, concerning the Bids preparation, including explanation of the Bidding Documentation. From September 16th to October 20th inspection visits will take place in the different cities. The Candidate Cities will make a final presentation of their bid on November 9th in front of the FISU board members which will be followed by the attribution of the 2019 Universiades. From July 6th to July 17th, 2013, the candidates will be able to attend the Observer Programme during the 2013 Summer Universiade in Kazan (Russia).

The Universiades are already attributed for 2013, 2015 and 2017, i.e. Trento, Italy; Granada, Spain and Almaty, Kazakhstan will host the 26th, 27th and 28th Winter Universiade respectively, while Kazan, Russia; Gwangju, Korea and Taipei City, Chinese Taipei will host the 27th, 28th and 29th editions of the Summer Universiade. A strong partnership with Eurosport will bring these events to the homes of millions of sports fans worldwide.

C. Pierre, Press Officer