Chungcheong in South Korea has been awarded hosting rights for the summer edition of the World University Games in 2027, with the event to be held at existing venues and temporary facilities.
The International University Sports Federation (FISU) announced Chungcheong as the host during its executive committee meeting in Brussels. Chungcheong was selected ahead of the US state of North Carolina.
FISU visited both prospective hosts before making its decision, with Chungcheong and North Carolina praised for their “excellent facilities, widespread support and cultures of university sport excellence”.
Chungcheong’s World University Games will feature 18 sports across 31 venues, 30 of which either currently exist, are already planned or will be temporary. FISU commended the bid for its carefully considered approach to legacy, which has already seen facilities used during the 2015 World University Games in Gwangju become widely used in the intervening years.
FISU secretary general Eric Saintrond said: “The choice of Chungcheong as host of the 2027 FISU World University Games was a close decision and this reflects the strength of both candidates. FISU and university sport are clear winners today, as shown by our ability to attract such strong attention for the hosting of our events.
“For many years, FISU has taken a sustainable approach to major events, starting with the principle of using existing venues or venues that are already planned by local authorities as part of a long-term strategy for the area. It is an approach that is clearly working, with FISU now being widely understood as having an attractive proposition for potential hosts.”
Yoon-suk Kim, secretary general of the Chungcheong 2027 bid committee, added: “All of us who have worked so hard to make our candidacy successful are beyond delighted. This opportunity means so much to Korean university sport and to Chungcheong. This will be the first major event to be hosted in our megacity and we are certain we will deliver an excellent FISU World University Games
Lake Placid will host the 2023 Winter World University Games, with Chengdu to host the summer event. Turin and the Rhine-Ruhr region will then host the winter and summer events, respectively, in 2025.
