Rhine-Ruhr 2025 and Torino 2025 strengthen their cooperation

The Executive Committee of the International University Sports Federation (FISU) met on 26 and 27 September in the Moroccan capital of Rabat for one of its four annual meetings. Representatives of the Rhine-Ruhr 2025 FISU World University Games were also present to provide an update on the plans for next summer, when around 8,500 student-athletes and officials from up to 150 countries are expected to converge on Germany for the biggest sports festival of the year.

CEO Niklas Börger, CSO Sina Diekmann, Head of Games Operations Michael Collins and Team Lead International Relations Donna Spethman from Rhine-Ruhr 2025 were on hand to explain the progress of the event.

The FISU Executive Committee enthusiastically received the report by the Organising Committee and especially the various innovative ideas that will take place in the Rhine-Ruhr region in summer 2025 and is looking forward to the Rhine-Ruhr 2025 FISU World University Games.

Close links between the two events

The Organising Committee of Torino 2025, which will host the FISU World University Games Winter in January 2025, was also in Rabat and presented a report.

Rhine-Ruhr 2025 and Torino 2025 used the opportunity to emphasise the close links between their events, as both will take place in Europe in 2025.

As part of this symbolic link, the two organising committees exchanged gifts. Niklas Börger presented his Italian colleague Alessandro Ciro Sciretti with a miner's lamp, symbolising the former mining industry in the Rhine-Ruhr region. In return, the Torino Committee presented Niklas Börger with a torchbearer's outfit and an official invitation to be a torchbearer at the Torino Games.

“It is a great honour to be invited to be a torchbearer for the World University Games in Torino,” Börger said. “This gesture symbolises not only the close connection between our two events, but also the common spirit and cooperation that unites Europe in sport”.

During the meeting in Rabat, the two organising committees exchanged views on their common ground and discussed how to share resources to further optimise the delivery of both events.