A week of Olympic-patterned athletic competitions will highlight International Education Week at Mississippi State.
Co-sponsored by the university's International Services Office and department of recreational sports, the Nov. 9-18 "International Campus Games" will feature 221 athletes representing 16 countries. All events are free and open to the public.
Students will compete in a range of sports that include table tennis, soccer, basketball, tennis, volleyball, cricket, badminton, softball, racquetball, and swimming.
Countries being represented include Canada, China, Columbia, Hungary, India, Japan, Jordan, Lebanon, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Trinidad, Turkey, and the United States.
"This will be a fun and exciting event that will showcase the athletic talents of our international students," said Laura Walling, recreational sports director. "Just like the Olympic Games, we're expecting the competition to be spirited, yet sportsmanlike."
An opening ceremony and parade of nations take place on the 9th. The 6 p.m. event in the Joe Frank Sanderson Center will be followed at 7 p.m. by table tennis competition, also at the center. Soccer competition will get under way at 7 p.m. at the university's RecPlex, which is located on the south side of campus off Blackjack Road.
The 6 p.m. closing ceremony on the 18th at the Sanderson Center will include the awarding of medals. (See complete schedule at http://www.iso.msstate.edu/iew/games.php.)
"The international games are yet another way for us to celebrate the world community we live in right here in Starkville," said Phil Bonfanti, director of the International Services Office. "We encourage students, faculty and staff, as well as the Golden Triangle community, to come out and root for their 'teams.'"
For more information, telephone Bonfanti at (662) 325-8929 or Walling at 325-2179.
