Today we mark 10 years since the start of the first European Universities Games in 2012 in Cordoba, Spain. European Universities Games (EUG) represent multi-sport university event governed by the European University Sports Association (EUSA).

Participants in these events are European university teams and individuals. The Games are organized on a biannual basis, starting with 2012 and they represent the largest European multisport student event.

The inaugural edition of the European Universities Games was in Cordoba, Spain and it was the largest European multisport student event in 2012, which happened from 13-23 of July and featured 10 sports: basketball, handball, football, futsal, rugby 7s, volleyball, badminton, beach-volleyball, table tennis and tennis. Cordoba hosted 2583 participants, representing 253 teams from 151 universities coming from 32 countries. The participants were able to compete with their peers in 677 matches altogether, and in the end the European Universities Games champions were declared in the ten different sports of the Games. 

The European Universities Games were than celebrated between July 24 and August 8 in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, commemorating the 15th anniversary of EUSA and the centennial anniversary of the Erasmus University Rotterdam. A total of 2830 participants from 280 university teams, representing 174 universities from 34 countries in Europe, took part in the event. 

The EUSA flag then was passed from the organizers of the 2014 Games to the host of the European Universities Games for 2016, therefore on this day, we also celebrate 6 years from the grand Opening Ceremony of the European Universities Games in Zagreb-Rijeka, that happened at the packed Mladost Stadium.

The European Universities Games in Zagreb- Rijeka, hosted more than 5 000 participants representing over 400 universities from 40 European countries competing in 22 sports. For the first time in the history of EUSA sports events, students with disabilities competed as well in Para-Swimming and Para-Table Tennis competitions.

After this succesful edition the honor to host the games belonged to Coimbra, Portugal, where the games took place in 2018. This edition was Europe’s largest university sport event of that year, and the largest multi sport event ever organized in Portugal. Over 4027 participants, forming 505 teams, representing 290 universities from 38 different countries, taking part in 13 different sports were part of this edition of the European Universities Games in 2018.

Unfortunately, the 2020 edition of the games was postponed and then canceled due to the Covid 19 situation that was taking its proportions around the world, but luckily things changed and we are happy to have the opportunity to make the 2022 comeback edition even greater than before. We expect more than 5000 athletes, officials and volunteers to join us in Lodz, Poland from 17-30 July.

EUSA celebrated the occasion of the 10th Anniversary of the first European Universities Game today, with cake and short speeches given by the Secretary General of EUSA Mr Matjaž Pečovnik and 1st Vice-President of EUSA Mr Haris Pavletić. 

This anniversary is a witnessing moment of the success, importance, value and greatness that these European Universities Games have, as a biannual event, striving for an even longer tradition of working, organizing and creating one of the biggest sports events in European university sport. 

For more information, please see www.eusa.eu/events/games