Relay of the Universiade Flame ignites university sport passion in Torino today

TORINO – Torch bearers are limbering up and final preparations are underway here in the northern Italian city of sport and higher education as the Relay of the Universiade Flame ceremony begins at 15:00 today.

This year’s route for the 30th edition of the event starts on the University of Turin campus before traversing down stately boulevards and grand squares en route to the day’s final destination of the Castello del Valentino, a headquarters of the Polytechnic  University of Turin.

From here, the Universiade Flame heads off to the visit the University of Lausanne campus beside the FISU headquarters on Thursday before heading back to Italy, reaching Milano next Monday.

The relay will culminate at the San Paulo Stadium on 3 July for the opening ceremony of Napoli 2019 Summer Universiade. 8,000 university student-athletes from over 150 countries are expected to compete in the twelve-day event, which consists of 222 medal events across 18 sports disciplines.

Kicking off the torch relay is Davide Tizzano, Olympic rowing champion and a sport operation manager of Napoli 2019. Local sporting champions Jessica Rossi, Marco Morello, Chiara Rebagliati and Walter Bottega are signed on as torchbearers, with emerging student-athletes from the martial arts sports club “Champion Center la Scampia Che Vince” also set to take turns carrying the flame.

A list of heavy-hitters in the political, sports operations and sports governance areas will open the proceedings, with FISU President Oleg Matytsin joined by Fulvio Bonavitacola, Vice President of Regione Campania; Gianluca Basile, Extraordinary Commissioner of Napoli 2019; Gianmaria Ajani, Rector of the University of Turin; Guido Saracco, Rector of Polytechnic University of Turin; Chiara Appendino, Torino Mayor; Lorenzo Lentini, CUSI President; and Riccardo D’Elicio, President of CUS Torino.

Napoli by night. Italy’s third largest city and capital of the Campania region is set to host Summer Universiade 2019 from the 3-14 July 

The ceremony will end with a live show symbolising the imaginary meeting of the Mermaid Parthenope, official mascot of the Napoli 2019 Summer Universiade.