High end Interview | Exclusive Interview with Reno Ed, Acting Chairman of the International Sports Federation, Chengdu | World | High end

Focus on international issues and gain insight into global trends. Today we arrived at Dong'an Lake Sports Park in Chengdu, Sichuan, where the 31st Summer Universiade of World University Students kicked off. What will the Chengdu Universiade look like to welcome visitors from all directions? What kind of sparks will college athletes collide with this spicy millennium old capital? What valuable memories and legacies will the Universiade leave for Chengdu? The guest we are going to talk to today is Reno Ed, the Acting President of the International Federation of Sports Federations. Let's search for answers together in the conversation.

Zou Yun: Chairman Ed, it's a pleasure for you to be interviewed by "High end Interview". On July 28th, the highly anticipated Chengdu World University Games will be grandly opened. As the Acting President of the International Federation of Sports Federations, this long-awaited moment has finally arrived. How do you feel? Are you nervous or excited?

Reno Ed: I am very excited, everyone is very excited. During the COVID-19 epidemic, we had to postpone the event, and then we were forced to postpone it again. Therefore, we are very grateful to the people of Chengdu and the organizing committee for organizing such a large-scale event with great motivation. This is not only a sports event, but also a cultural and educational event.This is really amazing! We are all looking forward to that moment, everyone is eager for the Universiade, everyone needs the Universiade, and everyone is ready.

Zou Yun: You said you firmly believe that Chengdu is ready to host a wonderful Universiade. We would like to know where your confidence comes from?

Reno Ed: The team from the International Sports Federation has already arrived in Chengdu and is collaborating with the organizing committee. Since 5 years ago or even earlier, we have received regular progress reports during executive committee meetings. All staff members of the China University Sports Association, the Chinese government, and the organizing committee are highly trustworthy. The competitions previously held in China have been very successful. Without a doubt, the Chengdu Organizing Committee will also present a wonderful competition. During the spring meeting of the delegation leaders for this year's Universiade, the attending delegates had already deeply felt this. After seeing the preparatory work, the delegation was very excited. The opening ceremony on the 28th and the subsequent events will present the results of our efforts to everyone. Whether based on past experience or current preparation, I firmly believe that this competition will be very smooth and the organization work will be excellent.

Zou Yun: This grand event in Chengdu is the 31st World University Summer Games. Actually, you have been involved since the 12th Universiade. We would like to know what makes the Chengdu Universiade unique in your opinion?

Reno Ed: The slogan of this Games is "Chengdu Achieves Dreams". The previous host cities also had very good slogans. Now we have added topics such as green cities, environmental protection, and sustainable development, which were not considered more than 20 years ago. In the past, we only held sports events, large-scale events that brought together outstanding athletes and outstanding student athletes. Of course, in addition to that, we also hold educational activities including the International Federation of Major Students World Academic Conference. The Universiade is now a comprehensive event that encompasses culture, sports, education, and various legacies. Now, whether it is the International Olympic Committee, various international sports federations, or the International Major Sports Federation, we cannot just stay at organizing a sports event. People will ask, what has it left for us, for universities, for the people, for the country and even the region? So I believe that the Chengdu Universiade with a holistic planning concept is unique. I firmly believe that we will be very successful.

The 31st Chengdu Summer Universiade was the first comprehensive international sports event held in the western region of China. In the next 12 days, nearly 10000 college athletes from all over the world will gather here with vibrant youthful energy and engage in fierce competition. This land of Bashan and Shushui will become a place for them to pursue their dreams.

Dutch athlete Margit Dwog: Of course my dream here is to win a gold medal.

Turkmenistan athlete Arslan: This is my first time participating in the Universiade, and I hope to win a medal, perhaps a gold medal.

French athlete Roman Zunino: The Summer Universiade is like a miniature version of the Olympics. But for athletes like me, this is great, it's a great opportunity.

South African coach Nikolai Filipov: Friends from all over the world gather here, and this kind of competition is not only for winning gold medals, but also for winning. I don't think that's the point.

Finnish athlete Villi Neyman: We will do our best, give our best, and see how far we can go.

Zou Yun: As you mentioned earlier, the slogan of the Chengdu World University Games is "Chengdu Achieves Dreams". We all know that the Universiade gave birth to many world-renowned athletes, including Liu Xiang, Michael Johnson, and Larry Bird. Nowadays, many young athletes aspire to follow in the footsteps of these legendary athletes. What do you think is the key to achieving their dreams as the slogan suggests?

Reno Ed: Some of them already have very mature athletic skills, while others are working towards becoming world-class athletes. Compared to the Olympics and World Championships, the pressure from the media and society is relatively less in the World University Games. Therefore, many young athletes are willing to start practicing from these comprehensive competitions, including the Youth Olympic Games and the World University Games, in order to open up their future career paths.

Zou Yun: The preparatory work in Chengdu has received high praise from the International Sports Federation and various delegations. What unique factors and impressive experiences do you think were present throughout the entire preparation process?

Reno Ed: First of all, I believe that the venues and facilities here, whether renovated or newly built, are excellent and advanced. We have technical representatives from the International Sports Federation and various international sports federations who come to Chengdu for inspection and evaluation. The heads of each delegation have truly witnessed a very high level of preparation work. The organizing committee is fully prepared to welcome all delegations and meet the standards of various international sports federations. Because the International Major Sports Federation follows the regulations of various international sports federations. We have 18 events, and if it is a swimming competition, we cannot establish rules different from those of the World Swimming Federation. Referees, penalties, rules, and regulations must be strictly followed. I would like to emphasize once again that the venues here are excellent, and the people here are very eager to learn and understand these large-scale sports events. One of the legacies of this Universiade is that Chengdu will host the World Games in 2025, so all members of the organizing committee can apply the accumulated experience in the future to prepare for multiple sports events or individual sports events. This is also a huge advantage. I greatly admire the dedication and preparation of everyone, from volunteers to senior management, who worked together to present us with a first-class world-class event.

Zou Yun: Chengdu is not only committed to creating world-class sports events and first-class sports events, but also hopes that all delegations and participants can immerse themselves in Chengdu's vibrant culture and culinary characteristics. You have previously mentioned tea houses, traditional architecture, and the Chengdu Giant Panda Breeding Research Base, all of which will be unforgettable experiences. What is your impression of Chengdu? Do you have the opportunity to taste the spicy cuisine of Chengdu?

Reno Ed: The first time I came to Chengdu was during the delegation leader meeting, and the organizing committee arranged for us to visit activities such as the giant panda base. That was really great! I know that students and officials from over 100 countries want to visit, and the giant panda base needs to be prepared to welcome hundreds or even thousands of students. I also tasted the unique spicy cuisine here, but to be honest, I'm not used to eating spicy food, so I'm still quite cautious. My stomach is not very adapted, I can only give it a brief taste. But cultural elements in cultural activities and competitions are very important because most students have never been to China before, and this is their first time here. Therefore, we encourage them to engage with volunteers and communicate with local citizens. This is part of the International Federation of Nations philosophy, which emphasizes equal emphasis on education, culture, and sports, advocates communication with people, and seizes opportunities to meet students and local citizens from other countries. If you have the opportunity to meet, try talking to them more often. Many Chinese people can speak fluent English, and they have also learned many other foreign languages, so communication is not a problem. This is also a very important part of this Universiade.

Zou Yun: When it comes to giant pandas, we need to mention the mascot of this competition, Rongbao. I think Mr. Ed, you are very lucky because you not only saw "Rongbao", but also its prototype, a giant panda named "Sesame". How do you feel?

Reno Ed: Giant pandas play together in groups until they are separated at 8 months old, which is very interesting. I feel like I took hundreds of photos to show my grandchildren. They asked me to bring them some souvenirs and giant pandas back, of course not real pandas.

Zou Yun: You bought some souvenirs of "Rongbao" for your grandchildren.

Reno Ed: That's right.

Zou Yun: Do they like these cute companions?

Reno Ed: I think giant pandas are the most popular animals in the world. Of course, other animals are also very popular, but my grandchildren really like giant pandas. I bought some more as gifts for them. My son even said, don't buy too much. My neighbor's children are all very happy to receive giant pandas because they have a long evolutionary history. Nowadays, we also need to protect nature and animals. This is an important aspect that we must pay attention to. If children realize that some animals may die or even become extinct, we must protect them. Souvenirs are a great way for children to learn about them. Sooner or later, children will witness the lively and lovely giant pandas with their own eyes, and come to Chengdu for tourism. Therefore, this is also a heritage of the Chengdu Universiade, attracting tourists from all over the world. On social media, you can see students posting a lot of content, promoting Chengdu, the Universiade, and the giant pandas, attracting more people to come.

At this year's Universiade, "Rongbao" not only transformed into a "souvenir", but also into a robot.

In terms of daily services, Dayun Village is also equipped with a coffee robot that can pull flowers with both arms, as well as a new generation of AI translation system. This system adopts globally leading artificial intelligence technology and can provide online translation, text conversion, and speech synthesis services for 83 languages.

In front of the table tennis table, a robot's robotic arm steadily holds a ping pong racket and feeds the player a beautiful serve.

These are all manifestations of the concept of "Wisdom Movement". The Chengdu Universiade has adopted many cutting-edge technologies, from preparation to opening, from venue construction to equipment services, totaling more than 170 "high-tech and intelligent manufacturing" deep into the competition venues and the Universiade Village, providing technological support for hosting, participating, and watching, making the event experience full of technology and fun.

Zou Yun: Another unique feature of this competition is the application of many cutting-edge technologies, including 5G, cloud computing, and artificial intelligence, all aimed at creating the Smart Universiade. What is your opinion on these new developments?

Reno Ed: First of all, I had an interesting experience at the media center today. I played table tennis with a robot, and then I lost completely. But I have to give it a try. There are many technologies available now, in addition to the staff of the International Federation of Sports Federations, we also have members from universities who have very close connections with scientific research. Therefore, the Universiade provides us with the best platform to learn from each other, exchange experiences, and witness how intelligence and modern technology are driving the development of university sports, cities, and sports themselves. I think the future is like this. If we compare our generation with the young students of today, the world today is completely different from ours at that time.

Zou Yun: The uniqueness of the Universiade lies in the combination of sports and academia. The participating student athletes not only demonstrate high-level athletic skills, but also pursue knowledge. In view of this, how do you think should we further enhance the "physical and mental excellence" model of the International University Sports Federation?

Reno Ed: I believe that "physical and mental excellence" can guide us to focus on the dual career development of college students. If someone has been specialized in sports since childhood, how should they cope when their sports career ends, accidents or other situations occur? They may have nothing. Of course, people who only focus on learning may also achieve nothing. So we need a healthy lifestyle, focus on mental health, and exercise moderately, because not all students can become top athletes. It is precisely for this reason that we advocate for college students to achieve dual career development, that is, to excel in both mental and physical aspects. I sincerely believe that if students focus on their studies while also developing sports skills, becoming high-level athletes, it is indeed commendable. But academically, it is also necessary to ensure that these students have the opportunity to develop both academically and physically, and cultivate future leaders.

Zou Yun: You once said that China is one of the countries you visit the most. You said you've been here about 25 times. Especially during the Beijing and Shenzhen Universiades, I visited these two cities. What significant changes have you noticed in China over the years? Especially in terms of health and sports, as national fitness has become a national strategy in China, can you share some opinions?

Reno Ed: I first came to China in 1985.

Zou Yun: At that time, I was not yet born.

Reno Ed: Yes, that was really a long time ago. At that time, we held the Universiade in Kobe, Japan. After the competition, the Swiss delegation gave the students three choices: to travel to Japan, go home, or come to China. In 1985, there were not many Westerners who could come to China, and I was one of them. We visited some beautiful scenic spots, such as Guilin. I don't know if my pronunciation is accurate. Guilin is very beautiful.

Zou Yun: Your pronunciation is perfect, the mountains, rivers and streams there

Reno Ed: It's captivating, I'll never forget it. We also visited other cities, sometimes wandering around the hotel and encountering Chinese people walking over to chat with us. Perhaps two or three people can understand some English. In the past, people did not have the opportunity to try so many sports. Education is different now, they have the opportunity to exercise. The national fitness program advocates for a healthy lifestyle and active exercise at the national level, which has brought about a significant change in people's mindset. I believe this is also the correct way for Chinese people to face the future, because we need people with strong physical and mental health to focus on the future and overcome the challenges faced by all countries.

Zou Yun: That's indeed the case.He also emphasized that sports are an important symbol of social development and human progress.

This project is aimed at college students and the university community, including professors and staff. About four to five universities in China have joined the project now. During the International Federation of Major Schools World Academic Conference held in Chengdu, these schools will all receive the "Healthy Campus" certification. We not only focus on sports, but also on nutrition, mental health, and other factors.I am 100% confident that this will contribute to the development of Chinese society and benefit the Chinese people. China has sports facilities and there are ways to truly focus on sports programs. I congratulate you on this. At the same time, I also hope that as many Chinese people as possible can recognize our suggestions and participate in our project.

Zou Yun: As you just mentioned, one of the main challenges faced by the host city is how to maximize the use of the competition venue after the competition. In fact, Chengdu has already made preparations and plans earlier. For example, many competition venues will be open to the public after the competition, and some buildings will be converted into university dormitories. And this building, the main media center of the Chengdu Universiade, will be transformed into a library and opened to the local public. How do you view China's efforts to promote sports competitions and the utilization of these sports event legacies?

Reno Ed: This competition will leave a great legacy. For FIFA, as I mentioned before, we are not just hosting a 10 day sports event, and this is very important. I think Chengdu has also set an example. 99% of people will support this sports meet because they see the benefits it brings to society, citizens, the country, education, and universities. This is a win-win situation.

Zou Yun: China Central Television has dispatched a team of 2500 people, bringing some cutting-edge technologies, some of which are still making their debut. What are your expectations for the coverage and broadcasting of China Central Television?

Reno Ed: First of all, I am very happy and grateful to so many Chinese media people for reporting on the field, because your coverage must be very comprehensive, not only in sports competitions, but also in the off field stories of athletes. This will also contribute to the future career development of young athletes and prepare them for participating in the Olympics and World Championships.

Zou Yun: You have been working at the International Sports Federation for over thirty years and have extensive experience. What changes do you think have occurred or are happening in global competitions? How do you ensure that after years of development, this competition can still keep up with these changes in a rapidly changing environment?

Reno Ed: I believe it's not just about changes in sports and event rules. Compared to previous years, there has been an increase in women's sports. It is now necessary to provide equal numbers of competition events for male and female athletes. I think there has been good progress in this area. Looking ahead to the future, how can we collaborate with various international sports federations for development, optimize competition formats, and attract more spectators to participate? The Universiade held in Chengdu this time may bring inspiration.

Zou Yun: Mr. Ed, you have been working in the sports industry for so many years, and we are very curious about what sports do you do on a daily basis? Will you go to the gym? Do you exercise regularly?

Reno Ed: Of course, when I was young, I tried many different sports, some of which reached the competitive level, but not at the top level. In Switzerland, it was at the level of regional competitions. But now, in order to stay healthy