24 August 2023 | in Meetings
FISU Acting President Leonz Eder and Hungarian State Secretary for Sport Dr. Adam Schmidt
(photos courtesy Hungarian State Secretariat for Sport)
With the World Athletics Championships ongoing in Budapest, FISU Acting President Leonz Eder was in the Hungarian capital to meet with government and sport leaders. The meeting involved Dr. Adam Schmidt, State Secretary for Sport in Hungary; Adam Roczek, European University Sports Association (EUSA) President; Lajos Mocsai, Hungarian University Sports Federation (MEFS) President; Peter Juhasz, Secretary General MEFS; Agnes Ancic-Valkai, Director of International Relations with MEFS; Roland Liszkai, Head of Unit of International Sport Relations of State Secretariat for Sport.
Thanking Dr. Schmidt for the invitation, Acting President Eder also thanked MEFS for their ongoing support of FISU and their having hosted many World University Championships over the years. He encouraged the Hungarian Government to resume its efforts to host an upcoming edition of the FISU World University Games Summer, an event it held in 1965, especially as they consider a potential bid for the 2036 Summer Olympic Games.
“Budapest has already most of the required sport facilities in highest quality and standards, the tradition of well developed sports at the Hungarian Universities was further developed in recent years, therefore Budapest would be an ideal host for the FISU Games.” In addition, Eder pointed out the potential of FISU’s Healthy Campus program, which currently includes three approved Hungarian universities and could engage more in the future.
State Secretary for Sport Dr. Schmidt highlighted the great importance that the Hungarian government attaches to the promotion of sport, and university sport in particular. The idea of hosting the FISU Games in Budapest was also met with great interest and he added that efforts are being made for Hungary to be increasingly represented also at the diplomatic level in sport.
EUSA President Roczek praised the leading role the Hungarian University Sports Federation, under the leadership of Lajos Mocsai, plays in European university sports. Hungary will again play an important role as in the summer of 2024 Debrecen-Miskolc will host the European Universities Games. From July 12-24, more than 4500 athletes competing in 20 different sports are expected to arrive in the Hungarian cities.
