The Rhine-Ruhr 2025 FISU World University Games will be remembered for the excellent level of the sports competitions, the inclusive feeling on the field of play but also in the stands where the public, the volunteers and the participants from 102 countries shared unforgettable experiences.
102 countries, 9047 participants, 1970 universities. 913 media accredited, over 445 hours of live sport on FISU.tv with 234 medal events and 27 FISU records broken. The numbers speak for themselves as the Rhine-Ruhr 2025 FISU World University flame goes out after 12 days of sport, science, education and culture all blended together.
One venue summed up perfectly what these Games were about: the former steel plant now event hall called Jahrhunderthalle in Bochum. It hosted the FISU World Conference, where academic specialists presented their papers on sustainability and mental health while, only meters away, 3×3 wheelchair basketball and 3×3 basketball student-athletes were competing on the same day and on the same court for the very first time in FISU Summer Games’ history. And to make things even more exciting, the Ruhr Games Festival was taking place in the nearby park, entertaining the public with great concerts and demonstrations of new urban sports!
When sport, education and culture come together
“The games in Rhine-Ruhr and Berlin were of a high sporting standard and will be remembered as a sustainable, inclusive event, said FISU President Leonz Eder. “The connection between university sports and science, the cultural programmes for the public, and the friendliness and helpfulness of the volunteers characterised these wonderful games.”
27 beaten FISU records
2974 female and 3259 male student-athletes competed in six cities and in 18 sports, beating many FISU records in swimming (17), athletics (6) and archery (4). They will travel home with brand new experiences, and so will all the officials, volunteers and members of the public who made these FISU Games a success.
“The Organising Committee, under the operational management of Niklas Börger, did an outstanding job under difficult conditions”, said FISU Secretary General and CEO Matthias Remund. “A new generation of organisers has emerged. They can be deployed anywhere and that is promising for the future of university sports. The same can be said of the volunteers, who were helpful everywhere – always with a smile: the best advertisement for North Rhine-Westphalia as a sporting state.”
