EUSA Insider:

Maja Jakobcic

Age:                   25

Place of birth:   Kranj, Slovenia
University:        University of Ljubljana (SLO)
Sport:                3x3 Basketball

Published 26 October 2022

How and why did you get involved in 3x3 Basketball?
I have been playing 5 on 5 basketball for about 18 years now. I started playing basketball because my older brother played it, and we younger sisters tend to look up to our brothers, so this is how it all began. But, I got involved in 3x3 basketball due to my boyfriend. Firstly, just by looking at him playing, but eventually it began to grow on me and now I adore it.

Did you already take part in EUSA events before or is it your first time?

Yes, I have already played at EUSA events. Me and my teammate Urša Žibert played together in every EUSA event I took part in – Split (3rd place), Coimbra (3rd place), Porto (4th place), and now Lodz (2nd place). In the year 2018, we also qualified for FISU University World Cup in Xiamen, where we were 4th.

In which ways is the EUG different from the other sport competitions you took part in?

I love EUG competitions because they mostly involve young players that do not only have sports in common, but every one of them also pays attention to their education, which is very admirable.
Are you satisfied with your performance/experience at the European Universities Games in Lodz?

I am very proud of the results we made at EUG 2022. We were leading the whole final game, but we lost a little bit of focus at the end of the game which cost us the 1st place. However, I think we gave our best, and even though we had some problems with injuries,we still managed to achieve good results.

Why would you recommend participation in the Games to other student athletes?

I would recomend participation because participating in the Games is a universal experience due to the fact that, the European Universities Games bring together students from all over Europe. So many young people with different languages and cultures merge, which makes this experience even more fun and meaningful.

What is your message to European student-athletes like yourself?

"Make sure you study and practice but don't forget to have fun, because you will achieve better results if you can relax a little bit from time to time". 

EUSA wishes Maja and her team, good luck and great results on the upcoming FISU University World Cup on 3x3 Basketball, from 27-29 October 2022.