It all began at the Moscow 1973 Universiade, and the presentation of Sineglazka, a monochrome image of a running girl whose name means ‘Blue-eyed’ in Russian. Since Sineglazka, there have been mascots for each Universiade and FISU Games Summer – 26 in total. Most recently, an animated giant panda named ‘Rongbao’ brought the Chengdu 2021 FISU Games to life, while Napoli in 2019 had a mermaid named Partenope and Taipei in 2017 was graced by Bravo the Bear.
For the Rhine-Ruhr 2025 FISU World University Games, the Organising Committee craved a mascot which could encapsulate the region, symbolise the nature of our event, and speak to the people who will make it all happen. It was an exhaustive (not exhausting!) process, but a surprisingly simple decision.
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It may not be the largest of birds, but this little gem has it all.
The peregrine falcon is the fastest animal in the world, reaching speeds of over 300 kilometres per hour in a dive. It is also the most widespread bird species and builds nests in natural and urban environments on all continents except Antarctica. In western Germany, the beautiful bird, originally native to the rock formations of the low mountain range of North Rhine-Westphalia, has also found its place in the post-industrial landscapes along the Rhine and Ruhr rivers.
Due to the worrying loss of biodiversity in Germany, our mascot has special support: the official peregrine falcon conservationists of the Nature and Biodiversity Conservation Union - NABU NRW. Together, they build bridges between sport and relevant environmental issues such as biodiversity and species conservation.
Cosmopolitan, universal, adaptable - and a record holder. There is no better candidate for the mascot of the Rhine-Ruhr 2025 FISU World University Games.
The animal was chosen and the design was finalised - now the mascot of the Rhine-Ruhr 2025 FISU World University Games just needed a name.
Where do you start? With a brainstorming session, of course. The organising committee drew up a list of 50 potential names, from which a shortlist of four names was put to a public vote on Instagram. The winner - by a clear margin - was "Wanda".
Derived from "peregrine falcon", the name takes on an additional meaning, as "Wander(n)" perfectly describes our journey together. A great adventure with a known beginning but an undefined end - and it all leads to one of the biggest multi-sport events in the world: the Rhine-Ruhr 2025 FISU World University Games.
Wanda is of course also strongly represented on the Rhine-Ruhr 2025 merch. So if you would like to buy a souvenir of Wanda, you can visit our online shop or the merch shops at any time during the event.
Step into the official merchandise shop and explore a diverse range of branded products. Find your favorite exclusive items inspired by Wanda!
