Helen Deng

    TEARS and cheers filled the auditorium of Shenzhen Media Group when George E. Killian, president of the International University Sports Federation (FISU), named Shenzhen the host city of the 2011 Summer Universiade at 2:38 a.m. Beijing Time yesterday.

    “Glory, victory and success belong to Shenzhen,” Li Hongzhong, Party chief of Shenzhen, said at the auditorium shortly after the announcement. “Shenzhen will not fail the expectation of the FISU,” he said. “We will hold a most successful and most influential Universiade.”

    At Royal Theater in Turin, where the announcement was made, Shenzhen Mayor Xu Zongheng broke into tears. “I feel proud of Shenzhen and Shenzhen people,” Xu told a reporter.

    The announcement, planned for 1:57 a.m. Beijing Time, was delayed by about 40 minutes due to fierce competition among the five cities bidding to host the 2011 Universiade, including Kazan of Russia, Kaohsiung of China’s Taiwan, Poznan of Poland, and Murcia of Spain. This year’s competition was said to be the fiercest in the history of Universiade.

    When the long-awaited result was announced, senior Shenzhen government leaders at the auditorium in Futian District stood up, made “V” signs, and hugged one anther. Thunderous cheers burst out among the more than 1,800 audience members, who had been at the auditorium since midnight. College students wearing T-shirts with Universiade symbols waved Universiade flags. Many people wept.

    “I’m so excited,” Zhang Yile, a student of Shenzhen University, said repeatedly. His words were echoed by his fellow student Zhang Wei, gold-medal winner in group rhythmic gymnastics at the 21th Unviersiade. Zhang Xue, a third-year student of the university, burst into tears and hugged her classmate.

    “It’s the most exciting moment for me following Beijing’s winning of the Olympic bid,” said Chen Lu, China’s first figure skating world champion, who has been living in Shenzhen since 2002.