During the biggest celebration of university sport, the Summer Universiade, the Secretary General and CEO of the International University Sports Federation FISU Eric Saintrond honoured Slovakia with his visit.
The three-day eventful programme of one of the highest representatives of university sport outlined possible future cooperation in the field of organisation of the World University Championships or the World University Games.
On the first day of the visit, Erik Saintrond met with the Minister of the new resort dedicated to tourism and sport, Dusan Keketi, where they outlined cooperation and the possibility for Slovakia to co-organize or organize the winter edition of the World University Games. Following that, the FISU delegation together with prof. Dušan Hamar, who is the Vice-Chairman of the FISU Medical Commission, the President of the Slovak Association of University Sport Július Dubovský and the Secretary General of SAUS Petr Hamaj moved on to the sports venues that are under consideration for the World University Championships.
THE DELEGATION VISITED CANOEING AREAS
The National Canoe Sprint Centre at Bratislava’s Zemnik hosted the first major event this year, the European Junior and U23 Championships, and will welcome the best on flat water at the World Cup in 2026. Chairman of the Flatwater Section of Slovak Canoeing, Róbert Petriska, presented the modern canoe course, which is progressing every year and improving the infrastructure of the sporting venue.
In the Divoká voda water sports complex in Čunovo they visited the training of the double Olympic champion in canoe slalom Michal Martikan. The world-class venue has already hosted the World Championships twice in 2011 and 2021.
THE QUESTION OF THE 2027 WORLD UNIVERSITY WINTER GAMES IN SLOVAKIA
On the second day, the FISU delegation attended the opening ceremony of the Slovak Summer Universiade in the premises of the Academician Bella Auditorium at the Faculty of Civil Engineering of the Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava. Erik Saintrond gave a speech at the ceremony and thanked the Slovak Association of University Sport and highlighted the great cooperation. “We have had a great partner in the Slovak Association of University Sport since 1987, when the first World Universiade was held at Štrbské Pleso,” said FISU Secretary General Erik Sainitrond, “Slovakia flashed another great organisation in 1999 and then with the collaboration with the Spanish Granada in 2015, hosting biathlon, cross-country skiing and Nordic combined. I believe our cooperation will continue and I would like to visit Slovakia for the fourth time for the World University Games in 2027.”
From September 1 to 6, the Bratislava and Trnava sports venues of the Slovak University of Technology (STU) became the venue for competitions of the best university athletes from all over Slovakia. The FISU delegation visited some of them, such as volleyball or athletics, and highlighted the excellent organization of the most important student event in Slovakia. “We have a close cooperation and close relationship with the International Federation of University Sports,” said SAUS President Július Dubovský. “Their visit to Slovakia and the trust they have shown in us by offering to host the World University Winter Games is a huge diplomatic success. I sincerely hope that either by cooperating with another country or on our own we will be able to bring the second most important international event after the Olympic Games back to Slovakia,” Július Dubovský said at the end of the visit.
Eric Saintrond wrapped up his three-day visit at the Slovak Olympic and Sports Committee, where he met with Secretary General Jozef Liba.
NAJNOVŠIE ČLÁNKY
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THE FISU WORLD FORUM HAS SENT POSITIVE SIGNALS TOWARDS UNIVERSITY SPORT
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FISU SECRETARY GENERAL ERIC SAINTROND VISITED THE SUMMER UNIVERSIADE AND EXPLORED SLOVAK TOP SPORTS VENUES
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Peter Hamaj is running for the FISU Executive Board
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