Universiade officials optimistic about nation's role
Chief officials of the International University Sports Federation (FISU) have underlined the important role China plays in university sports, and expressed high hopes for the 2009 Harbin Winter Universiade Games and 2011 Shenzhen Summer Universiade Games.
"China had huge success with the 2001 Beijing Universiade Games and has become an important member of FISU. Chinese university sports are also high level competitions," said George E. Killian, president of FISU, during his visit to the new headquarters of China University Sports Federation on Wednesday in Beijing.
"China's economy is developing rapidly. And it has a huge number of students and different competitions among the universities."
According to the website of Ministry of Education, China boasts about 1800 universities, a nationwide base for popular sports like basketball and soccer.
University leagues like basketball, soccer, volleyball and tennis last all year round and help develop professional athletes for provincial teams or even national teams.
Killian said Universiade Games had produced numerous great athletes for the Olympic Games and he believed lots of students from domestic universities are future Olympians.
"Universiade Games develop athletes for the Olympic Games. It is the grassroots for the Olympics.
"What they (Olympic Games) get is mostly the products of ours. People have come through university sport programs.
"Look at basketball. Most of the basketball players who play in the Olympic Games come from university.
"I think China is on the way to producing more Olympic athletes through university sport."
Killian also stressed that full-time physical education schools, which come under criticism for their lack of cultural education, are important parts of the university sport system.
"China does (produce Olympians through university) and some people do not realize.
"Because even if you go to a full-time sports school or a school of physical education, while you say OK they are producing professional athletes, but that school is a university."
He also praised Harbin in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province and Shenzhen in south China's Guangdong Province, believing both will follow Beijing's steps in hosting the most successful ever Games for university students.
"I have been there (Harbin). It is a very nice city. I went to the mountains, the ski events. It is very nice.
"When you go on to the mountains, you look at the housing, you think you are in Austria and Switzerland and some other place like that.
"We have very high expectations. We hope Harbin will produce a very fine winter games.
"We also believe Shenzhen will produce a successful games. It is a highly organized, well-developed city."
Roch Campana, Secretary-General of FISU, echoed the president's optimism.
"Harbin is a beautiful city. It is also a good city to host winter sports. Shenzhen has grown from a community to a big city. It has the facilities, the imagination of youngsters, and the development in 20 years."
This year, the 24th World Universiade will be held in Bangkok, Thailand.
The competition, dubbed the Olympics for university athletes, is expected to attract more than 10,000 athletes and officials from 122 countries to compete in 10 sporting events for 236 gold medals. The Games will be held in Bangkok from August 8-18.
The 10 disciplines comprise athletics, aquatics (swimming, diving and water polo), basketball, fencing, judo, gymnastics, soccer, tennis, table tennis and volleyball.
The five optional sports (selected by the host country) consist of badminton, golf, shooting and skeet shooting, softball and taekwondo.
Campana revealed more disciplines will be added in the following Games.
(China Daily 04/27/2007 page22)
