Federation Internationale du Sport Universitaire (FISU)
The United States Sports Academy has always supported organizations that promote Sport around the world. The United States Sports Academy is proud to introduce such an organization that represents some 144 National University Sports Federations. The Federation Internationale du Sport Universitaire (International University Sports Federation) was founded in 1949.
The Federation Internationale du Sport Universitaire was formed within university institutions in order to promote sporting values and encourage sporting practice in harmony with, and complementary to, the university spirit. To promote sporting values means encouraging friendship, fraternity, fair-play, perseverance, integrity, co-operation and application amongst students who will one day hold responsible, and even key positions in politics, the economy, culture and industry.
The spreading of the university sport in the world created a new series of meetings and competitions to complete the program of the Universiade. FISU supports the competitions which represent the continuity of university sport and allows the federation to be better known.
As allies or competitors, perhaps even as antagonists, these men and women will have learned how to collaborate and confront every eventuality whilst respecting the ethical code enshrined in these values. Promoting sporting values and sporting practice also means giving a new dimension to the university spirit in study, research, and discipline, through the strong affirmation of the full humanist development of the individual and, thus, of society at large. This development is not just intellectual, but also moral and physical.
FISU’s main responsibility is the supervision of both Summer and Winter Universiades as well as the World University Championships:
The Universiades are international sporting and cultural festivals which are staged every two years in a different city and which are considered second in importance only to the Olympic Games.
The Summer Universiade consists of 12 compulsory sports (Athletics - Basketball - Fencing - Football - Gymnastics - Judo - Swimming - Diving - Water Polo - Table Tennis - Tennis - Volleyball) and up to three optional sports chosen by the host country. The record figures are 9,006 participants in Bangkok, Thailand in 2007 and 174 countries in Daegu, Korea in 2003.
The Winter Universiade consists of 7 compulsory sports (Alpine Skiing - Snowboarding - Nordic Skiing composed of ski jump, cross country & combined - Curling - Ice Hockey - Short-Track Speed Skating - Figure Skating - Biathlon) and one or two optional sports also chosen by the host country, and gathered a record of 2,511 participants in Torino, Italy in 2007 and a record number of 50 countries in Innsbruck, Austria in 2005.
The World University Championships consist of Archery - Badminton - Baseball - Beach Volleyball - Bridge - Chess - Cross Country - Cycling - Equestrian - Flat Water Canoeing - Floorball - Futsal - Golf - Handball - Field Hockey - Karate - Match Racing - Orienteering - Rowing - Rugby 7 - Sailing - Shooting - Softball - Squash - Taekwondo - Triathlon - White Water Canoeing - Waterskiing – Weightlifting - Woodball – Wrestling.
In 2004, FISU organised 25 World University Championships that attracted 4,845 participants from a total of 186 (of which 90 different) countries. In 2006, FISU staged 27 WUCs attracting 5,852 participants from a total of 209 (of which 90 different) countries and for 2008, 30 WUCs are attributed.
The Universiades and Championships are open to all student-athletes that have not been out of university or its equivalent for more than a year and that are between 17 and 28 years old. Any association which belongs to FISU may enter a team or an individual competitor. Entries are accepted from any country which is eligible for the Olympic Games and from any national federation which is affiliated to an appropriate International Federation.