FISU Secretary General Eric Saintrond visits Slovakia’s top sports venues – FISU

The three-day programme outlined possible future cooperation in the organisation of FISU World University Championships or FISU World University Games Winter.

During the Slovak Summer Universiade, a FISU delegation, led by Secretary General and CEO Eric Saintrond attended events and meetings aimed at exploring future possible collaborations between the International University Sports Federation and Slovakia.

On the first day of the visit, Eric Saintrond met with the Minister of the new resort dedicated to tourism and sport, Dusan Keketi, where they discussed the possibility for Slovakia to co-organise or organise the winter edition of the World University Games. Following that, the FISU delegation, together with prof. Dušan Hamar, who is the Vice-Chairman of the FISU Medical Commission, the President of the Slovak Association of University Sport Július Dubovský and the Secretary General of SAUS Petr Hamaj moved on to the sports venues that are under consideration for the World University Championships. 

A modern canoe sports course

The National Canoe Sprint Centre at Bratislava’s Zemnik hosted the first major event this year, the European Junior and U23 Championships, and will welcome the best on flat water at the World Cup in 2026. Chairman of the Flatwater Section of Slovak Canoeing, Róbert Petriska, presented the modern canoe course, which is progressing every year and improving the infrastructure of the sporting venue.

They watched the double Olympic champion in canoe slalom Michal Martikan’s training session in the Divoká Voda water sports complex in Čunovo. This world-class venue already hosted the World Championships twice in 2011 and 2021. 

Possible 2027 FISU World University Games Winter in Slovakia?

On the second day, the FISU delegation attended the opening ceremony of the Slovak Summer Universiade in the premises of the Academician Bella Auditorium at the Faculty of Civil Engineering of the Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava. Erik Saintrond gave a speech at the ceremony and thanked the Slovak Association of University Sport, highlighting their great cooperation.

“We have had a great partner in the Slovak Association of University Sport since 1987, when the first World Universiade was held at Štrbské Pleso,” said FISU Secretary General Eric Saintrond, “Slovakia boasted another great organisation in 1999 and then with the collaboration with the Spanish Granada in 2015, hosting biathlon, cross-country skiing and Nordic combined. I believe our cooperation will continue and I would like to visit Slovakia for the fourth time for the FISU World University Games in 2027.” 

From September 1 to 6, the Bratislava and Trnava sports venues of the Slovak University of Technology (STU) hosted competitions of the best university athletes from all over Slovakia. The FISU delegation visited some of them, such as volleyball or athletics, and highlighted the excellent organisation of the most important student event in Slovakia.

“A huge diplomatic success”

“We have a close cooperation and close relationship with the International Federation of University Sports,” said SAUS President Július Dubovský. “Their visit to Slovakia and the trust they have shown in us by offering to host the World University Winter Games is a huge diplomatic success. I sincerely hope that either by cooperating with another country or on our own we will be able to bring the second most important international event after the Olympic Games back to Slovakia,” Július Dubovský said at the end of the visit.

Eric Saintrond wrapped up his three-day visit at the Slovak Olympic and Sports Committee, where he met with Secretary General Jozef Liba.