21st World University Handball Championship kicks-off

BLUMENAU – The opening ceremony of the 2012 WUC Handball took place at the SESI Sport Complex in Blumenau, Brazil. The event was attended by several authorities: Joao Paulo Kleinubing, Mayor of Blumenau; Luciano Cabral, FISU Vice-President and CBDU President; Zhang Xinsheng, FISU Vice-President; David Cabello, CISCA Chair and FISU Assessor; Franditseky Taborsky, FISU Technical Chair for Handball; Jeol Fernando Benin, representative of the Ministry of Sport of Brazil and Joao Batista, representative of the Santa Catarina State.

Athlete’s Oath

In his speech CBDU President Luciano Cabral stressed the importance of the event in Brazil, “Bringing the WUC handball to Brazil is a sign of the new moment of Brazilian sport, this event is of the one of the most important competitions in the FISU calendar, and it shows the strength and credibility of the Brazilian University Sport Movement.” Cabral also explained that with the current economic times worldwide, bringing the event to Brazil with the presence of significant selections from all over the world is an excellent demonstration of the good health of Brazil.

Typical Brazilian capoeiraLots of people were present in the gym honoring the athletes from 12 delegations, the pivot of the Brazilian team, Carolina Fajardo, born in Blumenau, took the Athlete’s Oath. During the cultural part of the Opening Ceremony, the delegations witnessed performances of capoeira, and typical Brazilian and German dance performances.

The 21st WUC Handball is a realization of the International Federation of University Sports (FISU), the Brazilian Confederation of University Sports (CBDU), and the Brazilian Federal Government under the sponsorship of the Municipal Sports of Blumenau (FMD), Department of State Tourism, Culture and Sport of Santa Catarina State, and support of the Federation of University Sports of Santa Catarina State.

2012 – 21st World University Handball Championship 

(Source: Mariley Carneiro – Photos by Eraldo Schnaider)