The current financial crisis that has affected the world’s leading financial institutions in the past few weeks has now reached the level of University Sport.

At the recently held FISU Executive Committee in Belgrade, Serbia, a number of measures were taken to safeguard the 25th Summer Universiade, scheduled for July 1st to 12th, 2009. Due to the very difficult financial situation faced by the Belgrade Organizing Committee and following a proposal presented at the FISU EC meeting to reduce the number of sports of the overall 2009 SU program, the FISU EC accepted the Belgrade OC proposal.

Therefore the following optional sports will be removed from the overall program of the 25th Universiade: canoeing, rowing, karate, shooting, wrestling and handball. Besides the compulsory sports program of basketball, football, volleyball, tennis, table tennis, judo, fencing, rhythmic and artistic gymnastics, diving, swimming, water-polo and athletics, two optional sports will remain i.e. taekwondo and archery.

FISU was hoping to celebrate its 60th anniversary in Belgrade with the largest Universiade in its history. However, due to this global financial turmoil, FISU has no other choice but to accept the loss of these six great sports in its program for the 25th Universiade.

‘I fully realize the disappointment this will cause to those student-athletes involved in the above sports’, FISU President George Killian stated. ‘Therefore, our members’ support of this tough FISU EC decision will be very much appreciated in order to help our Serbian friends in these troubled times to continue with the preparation for a slimmer Universiade.’