FISU, the International University Sports Federation announced today the official candidates for the 2019 Universiades.

Three cities have confirmed their official candidature for the 30th 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. All three cities have organised FISU Events in the past and have a proven track record of hosting sport events, with Brazil and Hungary previously hosting the Summer Universiade in 1963 (3rd edition) and 1965 (4th edition) respectively.

Regarding the 29th Winter Universiade in 2019, the FISU headquarters received the confirmation from two candidates, i.e. Krasnoyarsk, Russian Federation and Valais, Switzerland. Both countries are very active in the University Sports Movement as well. Russia hosted the 7th Summer Universiade in Moscow (1973) and is putting the last hand to the preparations of the 27th Summer Universiade this July in Kazan. The Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk wants to bring the Universiade to a region were no FISU events have been organised so far. Switzerland hosted the 2nd Winter Universiade in Villars in 1962 and has plenty of winter sport know-how.

‘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. From September 16th to October 20th inspection visits will take place in the different cities. In the middle of May, FISU will hold the seminar for Bidding Cities Executives, concerning the Bids preparation, including explanation of the Bidding Documentation. 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.

For more information, please see www.fisu.net.