With 200 days until Summer Universiade 2019, Napoli celebrates sport in Grandi Stazioni

NAPOLI — In the city’s historic central train station, sports practitioners, local residents, and television celebrities celebrated the 200 day countdown to Summer Universiade 2019 this past Saturday. 

And while the calendar might read its nearly Christmas it was the distinctive themes of sun, sea and sport of Napoli 2019 that were present throughout the day as Olympic and Universiade medallists in judo, taekwondo and fencing alternated performances with promising young athletes in Grandi Stazioni.

Among the sports champions promoting the the 30th Summer Universiade was Mauro Sarmiento, silver and bronze taekwondo medalist at the 2008 and 2012 Olympic Games and two time Universiade podium placer (2005 and 2007). Five taekwondo companies from Napoli and the province of Campania joined Sarmiento on the tatami mats for instruction and performances. 

Sarmiento spoke highly of his three Universiade experiences, where he matched his silver and bronze medal collection from the Olympic Games. “From a technical point of view, the (Summer Universiade) has nothing to envy of the Olympic event,” Sarmiento said. “The level at the Universiade is very high, where future protagonists of the Olympics will compete. It is an important competition and a great opportunity for Napoli.”

With just over seven months until the event, which will run from 3-14 July with 222 medal events spread over 18 sports, organisers said the 200 day-to-go celebration marked the turn to “phase two” of their preparations. Joining in on the day’s celebrations were judo junior world champion Christian Parlati, top Italian athletics stars, the deep sea diving world record hodler, the Napoli professional Rugby team, and actors from the Italian television show “Un Post al Sole” – A Place in the Sun.

Saturday marked 200 days to go until Napoli 2019 Summer Universiade, which will mark 60 years since the first Universiade took place in Torino