'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
The twelve-day global sports extravaganza came to an end with a lavishing closing ceremony at the Gwangju Universiade main stadium and was telecast live on DD Sports. Korean Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn declared the Closing of Universiade. The ceremony was entitled with the message “Sharing the Light: Youth is the Light of the Future”.
The ceremony began with a cheerleading performance and the South Korean rock band Dick Punks capped off the pre-ceremony show. Then the athletic highlights were screened along with behind the scenes of the volunteers helping with the event’s operation. The final segments of the ceremony ended with spectacular fireworks.
Next, the Universiade Flag was handed over to Taipei, the host of the next Summer Universiade in 2017. Ko Wen-Je, mayor of Taipei and head of the city’s Universiade organizing committee, was joined by Ho Jow-Fei, Director General of sports administration in Taipei, and Chiang Han-Sun, head of the Chinese Taipei University Sports Federation.
A total of 12,885 participants from 143 countries participated in the 2015 Universiade. In the 2013 Universiade, 11,759 athletes competed, which was held in Kazan Russia.
Hosts Korea with 44 gold medals topped the medal table, followed by Russia with 34 gold medals. China also finished with 34 gold medals but trailed Russia in total medals, 122 to 72. India with 5 medals found itself at 35th spot.
The World University Games are organised every two years by International University Sports Federation (FISU) which is open to athletes between the ages of 17 to 28. The next summer Universiade will be held in Taipei,Taiwan August 19-30, 2017.
The 12-day long event of “2015 Gwangju Summer Universiade” or “World University Games” was being telecast on DD Sports live for the very first time. It was supplemented by the channel’s social media team providing latest updates on twitter, Facebook and analysis by experts in the blog space.
