About FISU
The International University Sports Federation (FISU) was officially formed in 1949, but its origin goes back to the 1920 when the Frenchman, Jean Petitjean, organised the first "World Student Games" in Paris in May 1923.
The following year saw the birth of the International Confederation of Students (I.C.S.), which held a congress in Warsaw. Several delegations took part and the movement was launched. From 1925 to 1939, many great sporting events were organised by the students and the I.C.S. : in Prague in 1925, Rome in 1927, then again in Paris, Darmstadt (1930), Turin (1933), Budapest (1935), Paris (1937), Monaco (1939).
The Second World War interrupted these meetings, but when peace was restored, France re-launched the World University Games.
This peace was relative, because the shadow of the Cold War soon divided university sport. In 1949, although the International Students Union (I.S.U.) organised Games at which very few Western countries participated, the International University Sports Federation (FISU), born the previous year in Luxembourg, was officially founded and organised its first International University Sports Weeks bringing together the western delegations. These meetings took place notably in Merano (1949), Luxembourg (1951), Dortmund (1953) and San Sebastian (1955).
In a new departure in 1957, the French Federation organised a World University Sports Championship which brought together students from Eastern and Western blocks.
From this meeting came the desire to organise a universal event in which students from all over the world could participate.
In 1959, FISU and the I.S.U. agreed to participate in the games organised in Turin by the Italian association : C.U.S.I. That year was undoubtedly the one that left the biggest impression on our federation. In fact, the Italian organisers baptised these 1959 games with the name Universiade. They created the flag with a "U" surrounded by stars, which was going to begin its journey around the world, and replaced the national anthems at the medal-awarding ceremonies by the Gaudeamus Igitur.
The Universiade in Turin was a success for the local Executive Committee and for the man who was going to change the future of the university sports movement : Dr Primo NEBIOLO. At this Universiade, which brought together 43 different countries and 1,400 participants, many non-member federations asked to become members of FISU.
However, even though university sports finally led a peaceful coexistence, the modus vivendi still needed to be established. In addition to the agreement that was made concerning national symbols (neither flags nor anthems) and on the programme, FISU determined its philosophy in article 2 of its statutes by stipulating : "FISU pursues its objects without consideration or discrimination of a political, denominational or racial nature".
From then on, FISU was to organise the Games on a worldwide level.
As the National University Sport Federation of Canada under FISU and FISU America, the U SPORTS International Program is mandated to facilitate high performance competitive opportunities for student-athletes who are Canadian, between the ages of 17 and 25, and enrolled full-time in a post-secondary institution.
Separate Winter and Summer World University Games are held every two odd years, and offer competitive opportunities in over 20 sports. World University Championships are currently offered every two even years, from April to December, and are generally sports not offered at the World University Games
World University Games and World University Championship Eligibility Rules for Athletes
All competitors must satisfy the following conditions:
1. Be a Canadian citizen.
a. Citizenship must be authorized by a valid Canadian passport.
2. Be at least 17 and less than 25 years of age as of January 1st in the year of the event.
3. Be a student who is registered for and pursuing a full programme of study leading towards a degree or diploma at a post-secondary institution.
a. status must be authorized by a document from the registrar of the institution.
b. Post-secondary institutions include community colleges, professional schools, technical schools, C.E.G.E.P., and universities, in Canada or outside of Canada.
c. or Be a former student who has graduated from a post-secondary institution as a student in good standing, in the year preceding the event.
*Graduation must be authorized by a document from the registrar of the institution.