2011 Shenzhen World University Games - Universiade
The World University Games (WUGs), also known as the Summer Universiade, is held every two years under the auspices of FISU, the International University Sports Federation. The WUGs are second in size only to the Olympics, so it is often nicknamed “Small Olympics”.
They comprise of thirteen compulsory sports and up to eight optional sports (which are determined by the relevant host country). The WUGs are staged in various cities throughout the world. The event was first officially held in 1959 and the 26th World University Games will be held in Shenzhen from August 12 to August 20, 2011.
Because the Unisersiade is the second largest international multi-sport event only second to Olympic Games in terms of scale of operation, countries across the world take it seriously and send their most outstanding athletes to participate in the competition since the first event in 1959. University athletes have altogether broken 18 records in track and field and swimming competition in all previous World University Games since its first opening.
The mascot
The mascot of 2011 World University Games, “UU”, is actually a smiling face transformed from the emblem of Shenzhen 2011 Universiade “Happy U”. And meantime it has the shape of the initial letter U from the word “university” and symbolizes the open, friendly and tolerant spirit of the Universiade.
The emblem-Happy U
The emblem of Shenzhen 2011 Universiade “Happy U” consists of numerous mlti-colored circles of varying sizes, each serving as a necessary element of the emblem and can bear a lot of messages and imaginations. It is an open emblem with no fixed meanings.
The Happy U can be understood as the abbreviation for University, You, union , United or Universe, as well as the sea bay (Dapeng Bay) in Shenzhen. University students with different skin colors from five continents across the globe will gather together at the U-shaped Dapeng Bay. And the shape of U also symbolizes open, friendly and tolerant spirit.
These dots can enlarge, shrink, accumulate and change freely, and they can evolve into different things and change into each kind of solid graphs which can be used at various situations at the Universiade. These dots in the artistic design process can have six aspects of meaning: Happy U, Open U, Tolerate U, Young U, World U and Future U.
The whole happy U comprises a great number of dots of five colors, red, green, yellow, blue and black, which are arranged freely within the U shape. The black word “Universiade” stands for the English version of World University Games, and the following “SHENZHEN 2011” stands for the host city Shenzhen and the year of the 26th Universiade-2011. The five stars below symbolize International University Sports Federation.
Sports Events
This Sports Games will be the biggest event with the most competition items and the largest participants of all Unisersiades. There will be 24 sports competitions including the track and field, swimming, water polo, diving, beach football, bicycle, Tae Kwon Do, chess, soccer, weight lifting, fencing, ping pong, sailing and wind surfboard, tennis, golf, badminton, archery, Judo, body-building exercise, volleyball, basketball and athletics gymnastics and artistic aerobatics. The number of participant athletes, coaches and team leaders is expected to reach over 10,000.
Venues
Construction of the Universiade facilities has been progressing smoothly. Sixty-three venues will be prepared for training and competition. Of the 63 stadiums and gymnasiums, 22 are newly built, 36 renovated or upgraded, and five temporary venues that will be dismantles after the Games. There will be six new non-competition venues. Some sites will be used after the Games. For example, the Universiade Village will be converted into student dormitories for Shenzhen Institute of Information Technology after the Games.
the universiade mascot
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