The third edition of the International Day of University Sport (IDUS) on 20 September 2018, will be marked by the lighting of the Krasnoyarsk 2019 Winter Universiade flame in Torino, Italy.
The ceremony will set into motion 650 torchbearers who will take part in the Universiade Torch Relay. The Torch Relay route will pass through former Universiade host cities Almaty (Kazakhstan) on 24 September and Harbin (China) two days later. Following this, 30 Russian cities including Moscow, Saint Petersburg, Kazan, Grozny and Vladivostok will witness the Universiade Torch passing by until it reaches its destination Krasnoyark. On the opening day of the Winter Universiade on 2 March 2019, the flame will be lit in the City Cauldron, installed near the Platinum Ice Arena.
Torino was the birthplace of the FISU Universiade in 1959 and befittingly, the torch that will celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Universiade, will begin its journey in this historic city. In fact, the Torch from the 1959 Universiade will be used to light the cauldron in Torino at the ceremony on 20 September. The ceremony will start at 15:00 local time, on the University of Turin campus.
Proclaimed by UNESCO in 2015, IDUS is FISU’s unique platform for the exchange of ideas and development through university sport on a worldwide level. In today’s age, it is more crucial than ever. “Young people are arriving at university having less experience of practicing sport than ever before,” says FISU President Oleg Matytsin. “IDUS is a vital initiative for making sure that as young adults, students go out into society with healthy lifestyles and habits to share among their communities.”
More than 500 IDUS activities have been organised globally through the 2016 and 2017 editions, and 3 IDUS related festivals have been organised – Lausanne in Motion in Switzerland, Oslo in Motion in Norway and Monash in Motion in Australia. Join us in celebrating this day and spreading the word for good health. Use the hashtag #IDUS2018 and encourage those around you to do the same.
