DUISBURG, Germany - The 2025 Rhine-Ruhr World University Games opened Wednesday at the Schauinsland Reisen Arena, the exact same stadium where the Duisburg 1989 Universiade's opening ceremony was celebrated.
Barbel Bas, German federal Minister of Labour and Social Affairs, officially opened the 32nd FISU Summer Universiade, which is co-hosted by six cities in Germany, including Berlin, Essen, Duisburg, Bochum, Mulheim an der Ruhr and Hagen, mainly from the Rhine-Ruhr region.
The opening ceremony began at 8:15 pm and ended at 11:00 pm, starting with the overture Now and Together. The composition, created by Jan Loechel for the 2025 FISU World University Games, was performed by the WDR Funkhaus Orchestra.
Leonz Eder, president of FISU, delivered an opening speech. "I wish you very success at the competitions, which will be unforgettable experiences and relished wealth in your life," he said.
The ceremony opted to underline the festival's character, combining classical music, big board sound, and modern band performance in an impressive scenography with the defining, central element being music.
Recalling the Ruhr area's industrial history was a fundamental conceptual thread of the ceremony. The stage was surrounded by six huge chimney-shaped LED towers on the pitch, functioning as the cornerstones of the arena.
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The ceremony managed to create a connection between the Ruhr region's industrial past and its future. Approximately 500 people, composed of retired miners and school choirs, sang in chorus the Steigerlied, the German miners' folk song.
The spectators gave rhythmic hand-clapping throughout the athletes' parading as volunteers made the leading group heading into the stadium, holding banners saying "no Games without U".
Hendrik Wust, Minister-president of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, gave a welcome speech, saying "University Games are a celebration of respect, tolerance and friendship. I hope this theory spreads around the world driven by your experiences. Each and every one of you is invited to be an ambassador of friendship and peace."
The big screen had a brief look back at the flag-handover performance for the 2025 Games during the closing ceremony in Chengdu in 2023.
The flame arrived at the stadium in the hands of Heide Ecker-Rosendahl, the long jump gold medalist at the 1972 Munich Olympics. She passed it on to six other athletes, who proceeded to and approached the LED towers.
The flames slowly rose virtually, accompanied by the anthem Now and Together. At the climax of Jan Loechet's song, real flames are ignited on the six towers, representing all the competing cities of the Rhine-Ruhr University Games.
At the end of the ceremony, the flames on the towers were transferred into six mining lamps.
The Rhine-Ruhr 2025 Games will see over 9,200 participants from more than 150 countries and regions compete from July 16 to 27.
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Host Germany is represented by its largest delegation ever: 305 athletes and 177 team officials.
