On Thursday, February 11, the European University Sports Association held its EUSA Awards Ceremony online, recognising and celebrating the achievements and contributions of individuals, universities and associations in European university sport.

Organised virtually, the occasion served to acknowledge the stand-out achievers who excelled in EUSA events over the 2019/20 season, while also appreciating the efforts of many who have contributed to the growth and development of university sport across the continent.



The virtual audience was made up of EUSA’s member associations, partners, stakeholders, university authorities, student-athletes and all associated with the EUSA family.

Following a welcome message from EUSA President Mr Adam Roczek, a recap of the sporting action from the 2019 European Universities Championships was shown, with the audience taken back to some of the most memorable highlights from the highly successful 2019 season.



The first award of the ceremony was the Most Active National University Sports Association (NUSA) award, given to the German University Sports Federation (ADH) for their active participation and presence at the 2019 EUSA Championships.



The Most Successful NUSA award, determined by the results and the final placement of the participants at the European Universities Championships, was then handed out, with French University Sport Federation (FFSU) being named winners following their successes across the 21 different championships organised.



The next award announced was the Best University award, based on the results and achievements from the past Championship season, with the University of Zagreb topping the podium with their 16 medals earned across the 2019 season.



The University of Zagreb was also handed the Most Active University award, having 139 participants present across the 2019 EUSA Championships.

The winner of the annual Enno Harms Fair Play award was then announced, with the award recognising a fair play gesture or situation during a EUSA sporting event which stands out above the rest. For their commendable actions of fair play in assisting both teams and organisers at the EUSA Beach Volleyball Championships after they were ruled out with a team member getting injured in training just before the competition, the Enno Harms Fair Play award was given to the male beach volleyball team from the Technion Israel Institute of Technology.



Following an address from FISU President Mr Oleg Matytsin and an enjoyable highlights package from the FISU Summer and Winter Universiades, four Medals of Appreciation – a new category of awards introduced this year to recognise significant contributions from partners, member associations and individuals in the sphere of European University Sport – were then handed out.



The first was the EUSA Medal of Appreciation for Partners, given to WAKO Europe for their integral role in the organisation of the very first EUSA European Universities Kickboxing Championship held as part of the European Universities Combat Championships in Zagreb, Croatia in 2019.



The second special award announced was the Medal of Appreciation for Member Associations, given to the University Sports Association of Poland (AZS) for their organisation of the Integrated Championships, which aims to integrate athletes with disabilities into mainstream sport competitions.



The winners of the Medal of Appreciation for Member Officials was then announced, with this awarded handed to both FADU’s Secretary General Mr Manuel Veloso and former President Mr Daniel Monteiro for their sacrifice and dedication in organising the EUSA Extraordinary General Assembly, Conference and spectacular Awards Ceremony and Gala in Aveiro in September 2019.



The final special award, the Medal of Appreciation for International Cooperation, was given to Mr Kairat Zakirianov, President of the Student Sports Federation of the Republic of Kazakhstan for his immense contribution to the development of both student and Olympic sport in his country and across Europe.



The final award handed out in the ceremony was the prestigious EUSA Order of Merit, given to an individual who, through their involvement and commitment, gave significant contribution to the development and promotion of university sport in Europe.

For strengthening his association as former President of the Hungarian University Sports Federation on a national, as well as European and international level, organising five successful European Universities Championships and helping his federation successfully bid for the seventh edition of the European Universities Games, the EUSA Order of Merit was awarded to Mr Adam Kiss.



Concluding the virtual Awards Ceremony was a sneak peek into the ongoing preparations for this summer’s European Universities Games in Belgrade, Serbia, followed by a message from General Director of the European Universities Games, Mr Predrag Juskovic and Rector of the University of Belgrade, Ms Ivanka Popovic.



EUSA once again wishes to congratulate all the worthy winners, and looks forward to seeing the entire EUSA family united once again in July at the fifth edition of the European Universities Games in Belgrade.

The EUSA Awards Ceremony was streamed online and is available for viewing at our social media channels on Facebook and YouTube.