Hard work makes Universiade 'big' success: FISU chief

By Yoo Jee-ho GWANGJU, July 14 (Yonhap) -- The 2015 Summer Universiade was "a big, big success" thanks to hard work put in by the local organizers and volunteers, the head of the event's international organizing body said Tuesday. On the final day of the competition, Claude-Louis Gallien, president of the International University Sports Federation (FISU), said at a press briefing that all delegations were "very happy" to have taken part in the Universiade here in Gwangju, a metropolitan city about 330 kilometers southwest of Seoul. "This was a big, big success and it's not a miracle," Gallien said. "It's the fruit of a lot of work during the games from 30,000 people on the organizing committee staff and 20,000 volunteers. They were extremely important." Gallien also noted that the quality of play and venues was "considered by everyone very high." "In some individual and team sports, the quality was at the world level," he said. "There has been nothing but good games from the sports' point of view." Gallien also said a friendly atmosphere separated the Gwangju event from previous Universiades. "This wasn't just a big, huge universiade," he said of the competition that attracted a record 12,885 athletes and officials from 143 nations. "It was felt by all the participants as a friendly universaide. It has been organized for them to feel the university sports spirit." Gallien praised efforts by Gwangju to keep costs to a minimum while still achieving high efficiency. Of the 69 venues used at the Universiade, only four were newly built, with the rest refurbished for the occasion. jeeho@yna.co.kr (END)