Martin Li
IT was innovative for Shenzhen to transform the Athletes Village into part of a campus after the Universiade, said Vladimir Leonov, director general of the organizing committee of the Kazan Universiade in 2013.
Leonov was one of the heads of delegations who inspected the Universiade Center and the Athletes Village in Longgang District on Thursday.
The modern sports facilities in the village can be used by students after the Games, Leonov said after learning the Athletes Village would form part of Shenzhen Institute of Information Technology s new campus.
The institute will be moved to Longgang after the Games.
The delegates were amazed at the Universiade Center, which includes a stadium, a gymnasium, a natatorium and a media center.
I was most impressed by the design of the stadium, said Al Araimi Salim, head of the Oman delegation.
The Universiade Center would be the venue for basketball, swimming, football and track-and-field events.
Oman would send about 80 athletes to Shenzhen, Salim said.
While most visitors spoke highly of the venues, some expressed their concern.
During his visit to the athletes apartments, head of the German delegation, Olaf Tabor, said a clear policy was needed for room allocation, which could be a problem.
In response, Zhou Yanbing, director of the Athletes Village department, said allocations would be conducted according to FISU suggestions.
All the 4,996 rooms would be open for booking on the official Web site of the organizing committee from June, Zhou said.
Tabor also said the rooms seemed small for two athletes.
The small rooms were designed to accommodate two beds and two wardrobes.
The village was expected to house about 13,000 athletes and officials from more than 100 countries and regions.
Germany planned to send 140 to 150 athletes to the Games, Tabor said.
A concert featuring colorful lighting and fountains is scheduled to open Friday night to mark the official completion of the Universiade Center and the Athletes Village.
Delegation heads and members are due to visit the Games venues in Nanshan, Futian and Yantian Districts on Friday.
