It is the 10th day of competition. Today marks the official start of handball, badminton, tennis, water polo and beach volleyball. Basketball is already on its second step of the competition.

The day in Debrecen started with attending the matches of badminton at Fonix Arena. Matches were going on all 6 courts; athletes were playing in doubles and singles. The kick off was full of competitive energy and lots of points. The morning matches started with a strong Women’s Singles battle fought between the  German Sport University Cologne (GER) and Technical University Sofia (BUL).  In the mixed doubles, the University of Strasbourg (FRA) had a strong performance, sealing them the win for their first match in the tournament against the Eotvos Lorand University (HUN). 

On the other side of town, at DESOK and Olah Gabor venues, handball had its kick off, too. We had the chance to attend a great match in the women’s competition between University of Pecs (HUN) and Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NOR). Strong game and striving for the win was what we have witnessed. 

The competitive spirit and great handball skills were not missing in the energetic match between University of Minho (POR) and the Hungarian University of Sports Science (HUN), as well. 

After the match we met Panni Varga from University of Sport Science (HUN) and she shared:“This is a new team, and while we know each other, this game is new for us, making it challenging. Last year, we placed 2nd in the EUSA championship, and today's game felt similar to the first one we played last year, which is a good sign. Now, we understand the game and each other better, and we have some expectations.”

In the men’s tournament, a heated match went on between Stefan cel Mare University of Suceava (ROU)  versus University of Minho (POR), with the Romanian squad taking the lead on and winning their first match. Maybe they will defend the title for the 3rd time in the last three years in EUSA Handball competitions. 

The sunny tennis courts in Miskolc welcome the first matches of this edition, featuring a team of three relays: two singles relays and one doubles relay to determine the match winner. The women’s competition takes place in the new indoor tennis center, while the men play outside. The matches are characterized by technical and intense exchanges, showcasing the athletes' skills and determination. It's a promising start to the tournament, setting the stage for exciting competition ahead.

Another sport that kicked off today was water polo. Many athletes had the opportunity to reunite at the same venue as last year’s EUC in Water Polo. The pool is familiar to them, and all teams are eager to clinch the title of champion. Will the story of last year's winners repeat itself? Stay tuned to find out.

To complete the summer vibe, we moved from water sports to the beach, where beach volleyball also started today. The atmosphere was fantastic, and the sun was shining brightly. We watched Charles University (CZE) play against Ozyegin University (TUR), with the Czech team securing a 2-0 victory. The players shared with us their intentions of reaching the podium!

We met Tomas Semerad from the Czech Technical University of Prague, an athlete familiar to us from the EUSA Winter Championship in snow volleyball held in Val di Zoldo, Italy. Always happy to participate in EUSA events, Tomas expressed his enthusiasm for reconnecting with the sport-student community: “It’s always about community. The community during the winter games was great, perfect also, and here it’s even better because you have even more athletes. So it’s perfect, and I like to meet new people, so it’s perfect.”

Basketball has reached the second round of the competition. Games are intense, points are being gained, victories are celebrated, and strategies are continuously refined.

It was a very busy and intense day of sports competition. Be ready for tomorrow, as more sports will join the fray, including table tennis and taekwondo. The General Technical Meeting for table tennis was held today, where representatives of the universities discussed the rules, regulations, and most importantly, the draw. Get ready to follow the heated matches in table tennis!

For more information on results of the matches, please see www.results.eusa.eu and https://eug2024.eu/