You are gathered here in Novokuznetsk today to take part in, or witness, the 10th World University Chess Championship 2008.

The International University Sports Federation and the Russian University Sports Federation thank you for coming, and hope you will find the conditions here welcoming and right for your sport.

This championship, organised under the aegis of FISU, is part of our association's magnificent 2008 programme. Some 32 championships are to be held this year, each in a different country and for a different sport.

Since the beginning of the sixties, more than 250 of such championships have been staged, covering a broad range of disciplines. These biennial events, whose popularity has continued to grow over the years, lend continuity to the programme of our federation. They also enable a large number of students and University sport directors to exchange ideas outside of the Universiades.

As for 2006, 28 World University Championships, with 5852 participants, were each held in a different place for a different sport. FISU is very proud of the enthusiasm these competitions generated among our member associations.

FISU actively follows and supports these events, enabling student-athletes from all countries to meet in a spirit of understanding and peace that contributes to the achievement of high-level technical results. If performance naturally remains the primary concern of all athletes taking part in these championships, clearly this pursuit implies a spirit of openness and curiosity towards those against whom they seek to measure themselves.

In this sense, your presence here is already an achievement in its own right.

In the name of the International University Sports Federation, I wish you success and I hope that this experience is a memorable one.