Biella, 5 November 2024 – The Piemonte Tour of the Torchlight Torino 2025 FISU World University Games officially started, arriving today in Biella, UNESCO creative city, at the Campus of Città Studi – University of Torino, welcomed by more than 200 students from primary, secondary schools and universities.
Along the route 20 torchbearers took turns, first of all the councillor of the municipality of Biella, Edoardo Maiolatesi, who said: “For us it is a great opportunity that thanks to Piedmont and President Alberto Cirio we have so many young athletes from all over the world for the World University Games that will be held in January 2025 in Torino and will have a positive impact on Biella as well“.
“This event is significant not only for our university campus, but for the entire city of Biella,” says Ermanno Rondi, President of Città Studi. “It is an honour that Città Studi has been chosen as the first stop of the Torchlight Tour. The Universiade places young people at the centre of a system in which sport and education represent the common denominator for the educational development of our youngsters“.
Other torchbearers who carried the torch onto the Campus stage included Elena Rocchi (Regional Councillor) and Paralympic athletes Nicole Orlando and Giovanni Zaramella. Marco Borgione and Valeria Bianchi also participated, representing Main Sponsors UniCredit and UniCredit Allianz Assicurazioni.
After Biella, the Torch will continue its tour at the university poles and the excellences of the territorial districts of the Region, which are involved and promoted in the Universiade event through the passage of the tour, which will move by touching on the University and branch campuses with the aim of fostering interaction and synergy with local stakeholders, becoming an opportunity to enhance the research system and local, interregional and transnational research and innovation projects.
These are the next stops on the calendar: on 7 November, Vercelli, the city with the highest concentration of rice in the world, will host the torchlight in a stage that will touch the Science and Humanities Campus of the University of Eastern Piemonte; on 12 November, Novara, known as the capital of Gorgonzola, which has become and famous centre of major production of the blue cheese, will welcome the torchlight at the Medicine Campus of the University of Eastern Piemonte; on 15 November in Alessandria, the industrial and agricultural centre of Piemonte, it will join Palazzo Borsalino and the Department of Science and Technological Innovation of the University of Eastern Piemonte and the Department of Applied Science and Technology of the Torino Polytechnic in the torch’s route; on 19 November, Asti, the city of vineyards and flagship of Piemmonte’s culinary tradition with its famous bagna cauda, will host the tour stage at the ‘Rita Levi-Montalcini’ University of Asti, University of Torino; on 26 November in Mondovì, the Italian capital of hot air ballooning, will welcome the torch at the branch campus of the Torino Polytechnic; on 28 November in Cuneo, the city of agrifood and mechatronics, will welcome ‘the Guarini’ at the Mater Amabilis campus of the University of Torino; finally, on 29 November in Pollenzo, headquarters of the University of Gastronomic Sciences.
The organisation of the stages is always supported by the universities and municipal administrations. The Regional School Office and provincial offices will take young students to witness the passing of the Flame of Knowledge. The torchbearers will include athletes and former athletes selected by the FederCUSI, CONI Piemonte and CIP Piemonte sports associations.
After touching the main regional university centres, the Torch will arrive in December in the municipalities hosting the Games, passing through the competition venues:
- 10 December: Pinerolo
- 12 December: Torre Pellice
- 17 December: Pragelato
- 20 December: Sestriere
- 29 December: Bardonecchia
The Torch will return to Torino on 13 January 2025 on the occasion of the Inauguration Ceremony that will kick off the XXXII FISU World University Games. The path of the torch will start from the historical seat of the CUS Torino in Via Braccini 1 and will wind along a city route that will touch the main parks of the City, the competition venues (Pala Tazzoli and Palavela) on a mixed route skirting the cycle paths in the area. The opening of the media accreditation procedure was also announced on the FISU website: Torino 2025 FISU World University Games – Home
