On 20 July FISU America held the opening ceremony of the inaugural FISU America Games, the continental association’s first ever multi-sport games. Organised in São Paulo, Brazil, the first edition of the FISU America Games brought together 1,500 student athletes from 12 countries, including the United States and Canada.
The opening ceremony was held in the Brazilian Paralympic Training Centre, an elite multi-purpose sporting venue. The event began with a parade of the delegations, followed by a creative and energetic Latin American cultural performance.
The smashing success of the 1st FISU America Games was certainly present during the Opening Ceremony and carried on throughout the event
The athletes were welcomed by FISU President Oleg Matytsin, Brazilian University Sport Association (CBDU) President and FISU Vice President Luciano Cabral, President of the Brazilian Olympic Committee Paulo Wanderley and President of FISU America Alim Maluf Neto.
FISU President Oleg Matytsin helped open the 1st FISU America Games in Sao Paulo, Brazil
President Matytsin highlighted the importance of the Games, which will not only contribute to the further advancement of university sports in the Americas, but will also serve as the qualifying round for the first final of the FISU University World Cup Football, scheduled to take place in October 2019 in Jinjiang.
FISU Vice President Luciano Cabral helped open the first edition of the Games in his home country
The FISU President also took the opportunity to meet with the leaders of the CBDU, which participated in the games. During a two-hour working meeting the FISU President spoke about recent developments in FISU’s policy and discussed specific issues of university sports in the Americas.
The 1st FISU America Games left an indelible mark, both as an elite continental sporting event and on the governance level to enhance the role university sport plays in society