Breaking new ground, without breaking any: Rhine-Ruhr 2025 pushes sustainable venues concept

It was a chance for the leading figures in world university sport to see for themselves what organisers have been promising for some time: there will be no white elephants at the Rhine-Ruhr 2025 FISU Games. Breaking with tradition by sharing the sports among existing venues in six Host Cities, the sustainable staging concept moved a step closer to reality during the Spring Heads of Delegation held earlier this month.

Each afternoon from 7 to 9 April, officials from over 50 countries toured several of the competition venues across the Rhine-Ruhr region, including the awe-inspiring Jahrhunderthalle in Bochum.

“We had three days on the road and it was all really good,” Stew Fowlie, Head of Delegation for Great Britain, said. “A big standout was the Jahrhunderthalle venue for 3x3, which just looked amazing.”

Originally sited in Düsseldorf before it was rebuilt in Bochum as a steam power station, the multi-purpose Jahrhunderthalle is already looking like the perfect venue for the world’s fastest growing urban sport. Completely overhauled in 2003, it is not the only facility to have received a facelift: Fowlie and his colleagues also visited the neighbouring Lohrheidestadion, a much-loved venue undergoing a major redevelopment, and the rebuilt Regattabahn in Duisburg.

“I really like the look of the rowing facility, where Great Britain hopes we might do something, and it was nice to see the refurbished athletics stadium, which we think will be a great place for us,” Fowlie said.

‘Benchmark’

The India delegation had their favourites, too. Expected to be among the larger teams at Rhine-Ruhr 2025, their lead, Baljit Singh, said he was particularly impressed by the ETUF facility in Essen.

“I think the tennis centre is wonderful; it has iconic beauty surrounded by the water and is one of the best venues,” Singh said. “This multi-sport event is going to set the benchmark for others to follow. I think this will be one of the best Games we have ever experienced.”

For two-time Olympian Patrícia Mamona of Portugal, however, memories are still fresh of competing at the 2011 Universiade in Shenzhen, when she won the silver medal in triple jump. Mamona was only one month into her job leading the Portugal University Sports Federation and said some mindset adjustments would be necessary.

“I've participated in other University Games as an athlete and most of the time it was quite easy because we were used to being in a village, so this time it is a very different format,” the 36-year-old said.

“It's quite challenging, but as an athlete also, I like challenges. And hopefully, with this insight of how things are organised and with my athlete background, we can pull up a very good World University Games.”

New horizons

Highlighting the added value to the student-athlete experience, the Zambian delegation was keen to learn more about the environmental sustainability model presented during the meeting, which was held at the Hilton Hotel in Düsseldorf.

“Traditionally the FISU Games are normally all in one place but here we’ll be in a number of places, and I think that’s ok,” Manfred Sidambi said. “It’s good for the audience and it’s good for the students to see a lot of Germany when they come, because the level of development here is quite amazing and, most importantly, the people are nice.”

In her closing remarks to the Spring Heads of Delegation Meeting, the FISU Games Summer Director, Jing Zhao, promised delegations a new experience full of innovation.

“This is going to be a different edition of the FISU Games, because we're looking at a different model and trying some different things,” she said.

“I think we will be all going home with lots of things to do and lots of things to improve together in order to build this incredible journey in less than 100 days. But from the FISU side, we are ready, and I think the OC side is ready, too.”

Photo 2: Stew Folie (middle row, right) of the Great Britain delegation. Credit: Rhine-Ruhr 2025/Andrea Bowinkelmann

Photo 3: Rhine-Ruhr 2025 rowing competition manager, two-time Olympian Mo Taieb, leads delegates on a tour of the Regattabahn in Duisburg. Credit: Rhine-Ruhr 2025/Andrea Bowinkelmann

Photo 4: Patrícia Mamona of Portugal. Credit: Rhine-Ruhr 2025/Andrea Bowinkelmann

Photo 5: Baljit Singh of India talks to Leonz Eder. Credit: Rhine-Ruhr 2025/Andrea Bowinkelmann