STORY: Greek athletes prepare for Chengdu Universiade
DATELINE: July 23, 2023
LENGTH: 00:02:33
LOCATION: Athens
CATEGORY: SPORTS
 
SHOTLIST:
1. various of the preparation match of the Greek university water polo team for the 31st FISU Summer World University Games
2. various of Ioanna Sacha
3. SOUNDBITE 1 (Greek): IOANNA SACHA, Greek student-athlete
4. various of Lida Nanou
5. SOUNDBITE 2 (Greek): LIDA NANOU, Greek student-athlete
6. SOUNDBITE 3 (Greek): DIMITRIOS KONSTANTINOS DRAKIOTIS, Greek student-athlete
7. various of the preparation match of the Greek university water polo team
8. SOUNDBITE 4 (Greek): DIMITRIS KERERES, Director in Physical Education of the Greek Ministry of Education
9. various of Dimitris Kereres
10. various of the preparation match of the Greek university water polo team 
 
STORYLINE:
 
Greece has announced a delegation of 34 members for the International University Sports Federation (FISU) Summer World University Games to be held in China.
    
In an interview in Athens on Friday, student-athletes and officials from the delegation expressed their excitement for the upcoming Universiade in Chengdu.
    
The 31st FISU Summer World University Games is scheduled to take place from July 28 to August 8, in the capital of southwest China's Sichuan Province. Originally scheduled to be held in 2021, the Games were postponed twice due to COVID-19.
    
Ioanna Sacha, 24, a postgraduate student in psychology, is thrilled to travel to China and take part in the swimming races. For her, the Chengdu Universiade is a way that life returns to normal after the pandemic. 
 
SOUNDBITE 1 (Greek): IOANNA SACHA, Greek student-athlete
"I would like to see good performances, timings and races."
    
For her participation in the national team, Lida Nanou, a student in applied mathematics at the National Technical University of Athens and an archer, said she will try her best during the Universiade.
    
SOUNDBITE 2 (Greek): LIDA NANOU, Greek student-athlete
"We have expectations. We will do our best as a team. It is great that Universiades are back. We are going to meet athletes from all around the world, I find this experience very valuable in our journey as athletes."
 
Dimitrios Konstantinos Drakiotis, 21, is a student in business administration at the University of Piraeus.
 
SOUNDBITE 3 (Greek): DIMITRIOS KONSTANTINOS DRAKIOTIS, Greek student-athlete
"The Summer World University Games in Chengdu is like the Olympic Games for students."
   
As this is going to be his first trip to another continent and his first time in a global competition, he highlighted that this is an opportunity for students to be more engaged in sports.
    
The athletes from Greece will participate in artistic gymnastics, swimming, water polo, athletics and archery.
    
SOUNDBITE 4 (Greek): DIMITRIS KERERES, Director in Physical Education of the Greek Ministry of Education
"We hope that our team will have a good performance in the Games and our athletes will excel. The global Universiade is a big sport event. Considering the number of participants, it is the second-biggest competition after the Olympic Games."
    
Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Athens.
(XHTV)