European Universities Games 2021

Belgrade, Serbia

Update May 5, 2021:
The European University Sports Association announces that the 5th European Universities Games will not be held in Belgrade, Serbia this year.

Initially scheduled to take place in 2020, the Games were postponed to the summer of 2021, yet due to the ongoing global pandemic, a decision was taken in March this year to further postpone the event to a later date.

EUSA, the Local Organising Committee, together with the Serbian government, explored the option of hosting the competition in the autumn of 2021, yet taking into account the unstable situation which might hinder the Games being organised under the traditionally cultural and social atmosphere associated with EUSA events, a decision has now been made not to have the event this year. EUSA acknowledges the decision not to have the Games in Belgrade this year is in the best interests of all concerned, keeping the safety and well-being of the participants, officials, volunteers as well as the hosting country citizens as a priority.

All parties remain fully committed to additionally explore the possibilities of having the event staged in its rightful and enjoyable manner at a later time. Discussions with both the local organisers and the Government of Serbia regarding a future date for the event are ongoing, with a decision set to be announced in due course. In the meantime, EUSA members, registered teams and individuals received detailed instructions on the refund procedure.  

EUSA keeps its dedication to the upcoming editions of the European Universities Games. Local organisers of the EUG2022 in Lodz, Poland and EUG2024 in Debrecen-Miskolc are hard at work to ensure the successful hosting of both these events, and the bidding process for the EUG2026 is open until September 30, 2021.


Update March 22, 2021:
The upcoming edition of the 5th European Universities Games will not be held in Belgrade this July. Despite the hard work of the local Organising Committee, EUSA and all the partners, taking into account the current pandemic situation regarding COVID-19, after much analysis and deliberation, a decision has been made that the event in Serbia cannot safely take place in the scheduled period between July 14-27, 2021.

Although the decision to postpone the Games to 2021 was taken a year ago, we were convinced that the overall pandemic situation would allow us to conduct a safe Games. Today it seems that neither pending vaccination nor lockdowns and other efforts of the governments have brought the expected results, yet we firmly believe that with time, the situation will improve and the Games can be organised in a safe and successful manner.

With the safety and well-being of the participants and the hosting country citizens as our priority, we acknowledge the decision not to have the Games in Belgrade in July this year is in the best interests of all concerned. We sincerely hope to find a solution to maintain our cooperation and to find a way that the Games may be held in Belgrade at a later date. EUSA will now do a consultation with our members, organisers of our events and their authorities to explore the possibilities to organise the Games at a later stage this year.

The European Universities Games in Belgrade was set to be the highlight of the European university sports calendar, in what will be the second-largest multisport event ever organised in Serbia after the 2009 Summer Universiade. Participants from over 400 universities across Europe were expected to compete in a variety of sports over the 14 days in Serbia’s capital city.

The 5th edition of the European Universities Games were planned to involve 21 different sporting disciplines in the sports programme. This included Badminton, Basketball, 3x3 Basketball, Beach Handball, Beach Volleyball, Chess, Football, Futsal, Handball, Judo, Karate, Kickboxing, Orienteering, Rowing, Rugby 7s, Table Tennis, Taekwondo, Tennis, Volleyball and Water Polo. There would also be a Para Table Tennis competition for student-athletes with disabilities, and a Sitting Volleyball competition as a demonstrative sport.



Alongside the sport competitions, the Games would focus on educational and social aspects of university sport in Europe, featuring conferences and workshops in the topics Anti-Doping, Inclusion, Dual Career, as well as a Rectors' Conference. The legacy of the Games would be visibly clear as support from many institutions from across Europe and the local community would aid the development of university sports and student facilities in Belgrade.



RELEVANT LINKS AND DOCUMENTS

- EUG 2021 Refunds
- EUSA Refund Request Form
- EUSA events Rules & Regulations
- Registrations Guide
- Registrations platform
- Official website

For more information about the planned European Universities Games in Belgrade, please visit the official website eug2021.eu.

Please see our section on the European Universities Games for more information about the past and upcoming events.