25th Summer Universiade, Suma Sumarum

You're welcome to come again!

The sports fields in Belgrade, Vršac, Inđija, Smederevo, Novi Sad and Zrenjanin, saw 8,600 student athletes from 128 countries competing for medals in 15 sports, or 203 sports events. The total of 1,146 medals were awarded, with 200 hours of television programme broadcasted in 60 countries and more than 500 thousand viewers watching the events


By VEDRAN IVANKOVIĆ
from Belgrade, SERBIA























It might seem a bit pretentious to start the text about the recent Universiade in Belgrade, with the statement made by the chairman of FISU, George Killian, saying that the Universiade was "Serbia's feat and triumph", adding that we got a clean 10 for the organization of this year's largest sports event on the planet, Serbia's largest ever. If we take into consideration that 10,000 volunteers helped organize this event, and 5,000 people were involved in the preparation of competitions, then Mr Killian's statement is a compliment for the effort that was put in. However, one should always claim his responsibilities. There were certain omissions, but they shall be discussed on another occasion. It's still not the right time for it since the dust has not yet settled, and not all the athletes have yet left the University village in the Belgrade's Block 67.

Let's talk numbers a bit more...

The sports fields in Belgrade, Vršac, Inđija, Smederevo, Novi Sad and Zrenjanin, saw 8,600 student athletes from 128 countries competing for medals in 15 sports, or 203 sports events. The total of 1,146 medals were awarded, with 200 hours of television programme broadcasted in 60 countries and more than 500 thousand viewers watching the events.

The most successful delegation at the Universiade was Russia with the total of 76 medals won, 27 of them gold, 22 silver and 27 bronze. China was right behind them, they won 22 gold, 21 silver and 27 bronze medals. In general, eastern countries were more successful when it comes to the number of medals won. In team sports, the best results were made, again, by the athletes from Russia. They played both men's and women's basketball finals, and their girls won the bronze in the water-polo tournament. 34 student-games' records were broken at the 25th Universiade, and a swimmer from Kenya, Jason Dunford, was 45 hundredths of a second short from breaking the men's 100 meter butterfly world record.

A word or two about Serbia's delegation

Besides winning praises for the excellent opening ceremony and an outstanding organization, Serbia can also take pride in the fact its athletes won 5 gold, 5 silver and 9 bronze medals. Before the competitions started the goal was to win more than five medals so as to reach and exceed the total of 100 medals won at the Universiades. Mission accomplished. 19 medals were won, and Serbia's University team was ranked number 10 in the medal standings.

One of many unforgettable moments from this year's Universiade is the finals of the basketball tournament, Serbia vs. Russia. The excellent atmosphere in the packed Belgrade Arena made the victory complete. 20 thousand spectators witnessed the exhilarating basketball performance. The moment when the Serbian flag was raised the highest, and under it the Russian and the American flags, no doubt went down in history. It was the moment which brought back memories and a possible warning that the European nightmare, as our basketball players were once known, might be coming back, considering the fact that 5 players were called to join the national team by the coach Dušan Ivković.

The legacy

Apart from the people who are the true legacy of this project, as FISU Secretary General Eric Santron said, 53 sports fields were renovated, an investment for all 15 sports. Two most up-to-date tack fields were built, and also a sports centre in Smederevo. 75 million euros were spent, an impressive number for us, especially at the height of the economic crisis. However, the next Universiade's host, China's town of Shenzhen, is going to spend 10 times more, and the estimated budget for the 27th Summer Universiade in Russia's town Kazan is, for now, 600 million euros. One might say ours was a Universiade in the style of the citizens from Pirot, as the president of the Organizational Committee Bozidar Đelić said. It might be so, however, we should compare ours with the Chinese and the Russian economies, and also take into consideration that the participants left Belgrade full of positive energy and in a spirit of friendship- priceless legacies, because togetherness and making friends are the true purposes of the Universiade.

Until next time in China

"Niška banja-topla voda" (a traditional Serbian song) performed by a group of girls from Shenzhen, was just one part of the closing ceremony. Of course, there was the traditional passing of the flag to the host of the next, 26th Summer Uiversiade, followed by a goodbye and a see you again in Shenzhen.


(Published: 18.07.2009.)