NZ Students join in World Sport

Sports Reporter and NZSPA

The New Zealand University Sports Union is approaching the International Federation of University Sports (FISU) for membership.

This international organisation of some 40 nations of all political colourings has had an interesting history.

After the 1939-1945 war the organisation of International university sports was undertaken by the International Union of Students, who arranged in 1947 for Winter Games at Davos and Summer, Games at Paris.

IUS soon showed evidence of political bias. To react against this tendency several countries of Western Europe met in Luxembourg in 1948 to form a new body, FISU.

Thus a federation was built up occupied exclusively with sport and with no political, religious or racial distinctions or objectives.

In 1957 FISU withdrew the organisation of its Summer Sport Week; so did IUS with its University Games; members of both international organisations took part in university games organised by the National Union of Students of France at Paris.

Previously several members of IUS took part at the FISU Winter Sport Week in Oberammergau.

In 1959 a similar decision was taken by both FISU and IUS—members of both organisations took part in the University Games of Turin. These games were known as the Universiade 1959.

After these Turin games most IUS members affiliated with FISU.

From this date all FISU games were called Universiade.

Next Universiade is to be held in Sestriere (Italy) in 1966.

In addition to these events. FISU organised university sports conferences: the first in Dortmund 1953, the second in San Sebastian 1955. Since 1959 these conferences have been organised as "International days of university sport."

They took place at Macolin (Switzerland) in 1960, at Obertraun (Austria) in 1962 and at London in September 1964.