Rhine-Ruhr 2025 FISU World University Games open with spectacular ceremony

Pakistani contingent of 40 takes part with full spirit

By Shahid Afridi
BERLIN: The Rhine-Ruhr 2025 FISU World University Games officially kicked off last evening with a vibrant and emotional opening ceremony at the Schauinsland-Reisen-Arena in Duisburg. The sold-out stadium filled with over 20,000 spectators came alive with thunderous applause powerful emotions and a shared spirit as the games were declared open.

A 40-member Pakistani contingent is actively participating in the event. The students from Pakistan currently in Germany will compete in athletics, judo, taekwondo, swimming, table tennis and archery in both men’s and women’s categories. The delegation is being led by Director General Sports of the Higher Education Commission (HEC), Javed Ali Memon, while Director Sports of Peshawar University, Bahre Karam is also accompanying the team.

During the opening ceremony contingents from various countries took part in the march-past creating a mesmerizing scene as the arena lit up with the colors of flags from around the world.
Over the next 12 days around 8,000 student-athletes from more than 2,000 universities across the globe will compete for medals. Of these approximately 1,500 athletes will compete in Berlin where a separate brief opening ceremony was held at the office of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia.

One of the most emotional moments of the ceremony occurred when 1972 Olympic champion and 1970 Universiade gold medalist Heide Ecker-Rosendahl entered the stadium with the torch. She was welcomed with a standing ovation and passed the torch to six prominent athletes Sonja Greinacher, Sarah Wellbrock, Max Hartung, Mathias Mester, Nico Schlotterbeck and Alexander Wieczerzak. Together they lit the flame of the 2025 World University Games marking the official commencement of the global sporting event.