25th Summer Universiade opens in Belgrade

PanARMENIAN.Net - The 25th Summer Universiade was opened at the Belgrade Arena complex on Wednesday evening, and in the next 12 days, it will gather about 8,500 participants from 145 countries around the world.



The Universiade was opened by Prime Minister Mirko Cvetkovic in the presence of Serbian President Boris Tadic and other representatives of the government.



"I am glad that Belgrade and Serbia are hosting such an important competition. May the spirit of sport bring a lot of medals and much success," Cvetkovic said.



Addressing the gathered students and sportsmen, President of the Universiade Organization Committee Bozidar Djelic said he wished the university games would be remembered not only for the results those young people would achieve, but also by the friendships they would make for life.



The participants of the games were also addressed by FISU President George Killian, who welcomed the sportsmen, saying that they should not leave Belgrade before each of them had made at least one friend.



Before the opening ceremony, the university torch, a symbol of this competition, was lit. Visual effects, with the help of 35 performs, conjured up all the richness of human mind and revealed the most precious jewels of the Serbian treasure trove of science - Nikola Tesla and Milutin Milankovic, Tanjug reported.



Armenia is represented in four kinds of sports: judo, tae kwon do, tennis and fencing.