Largest Universiade to Be Staged in BeijingThe 21st World University Games will be the largest edition in history, said a senior official of the organizing committee."More than 6,700 athletes and officials from 167 countries and regions have signed up to attend the games by last night," said Li Guobin, executive deputy secretary general of the organizing committee. "Compared with the university games ever held, this will be the largest both in terms of attending delegations and participants," added Li. Japanese city Fukuoka had held the largest games before when it attracted 162 teams in 1995 while in 1999 the largest number of entrants took part in the Palma Games in Spain. Li said that the total number would surely increase because of Beijing's successive bid for the 2008 Olympic Games. "They are taking the chance entering the Universiade this year to prepare for the Olympic Games seven years later," Li said. Up till now, more than 1,500 athletes and officials have entered the athletes' village. "We are very satisfied with their hard and excellent work," FISU secretary general Roch Campana said, referring to the Beijing Universiade's organizing committee. China, the United States, Russia and Japan have confirmed they will send a team of more than 300 athletes and officials with China fielding the largest of 392 entrants. South Korea, Canada, Bulgaria, Ukraine and Italy are sending a delegation of over 200. |
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