FISU, the international governing body for university sports (and specifically the World University Games) has announced that Brasilia, Brazil has withdrawn as the host of the 2019 World University Games.
In a press release last week, the newly-elected governor of the Federal District, Rodrigo Rollemberg, says that the capital city is unable to “meet its financial obligation” to host the bi-ennial multi-sport event.
The Minister of Sport of Brazil and the president of the National University Sport Federation of Brazil have both expressed their disappointment in the withdrawal and additionally committed to take “all necessary steps” to move the event to another city in Brazil, according to FISU.
None-the-less, FISU has re-opened the bidding process for the event to both other Brazilian cities and other cities around the world.
The news comes as 2015 host Gwangju was hit with a huge budget cut of about $10 million in December as well, as the worldwide rhetoric of these major multi-sport events around the world, from Universiades to Olympics, has shifted to reducing out-of-control budgets and focusing on legacy..
The 2015 Summer Universiade will be held in Gwangju, South Korea, and the 2017 event will be held in Taipei.
Baku, Azerbaijan; and Budapest, Hungary were the other two finalists to host the event.