This year, the International Student Christmas Tournament, also known as Vedran Jelavić Memorial Tournament, has reached its 27th edition of being organized in Dubrovnik, Croatia. 

As the icing on the cake of the year, this tournament offered an opportunity for socializing and competition, allowing the student-athletes and participants to end the year behind them in a positive and sporting spirit. The participants eagerly anticipate this tournament every year, as UniSport Dubrovnik warmly welcomes them to their beautiful city. The warmth of the organizers perfectly matched the festive spirit.

The organiser and host of this sports event is the University of Dubrovnik, and the tournament is held under the patronage of the European University Sports Association (EUSA). 

This year, the tournament took place from December 19 to 21, bringing together four volleyball and five basketball teams from Croatia, Slovenia, and Kosovo. Although the event is characterized by a friendly atmosphere, there was no shortage of excitement and close battles on the courts, especially in the final moments of the matches. The tournament kicked off with basketball games and concluded with volleyball matches.

Over three days, we saw basketball teams from the University of Dubrovnik, FER University of Zagreb, University of Zadar, Faculty of Civil Engineering, Transportation and Architecture (Maribor), and Karlovac Polytechnic. In the volleyball competition, teams from FER University of Zagreb, Federation of University Sports of Kosovo, University of Zadar, and University of Pula faced off.

On December 21, in the battle for bronze on the basketball courts, the University of Zadar triumphed over Karlovac Polytechnic. In the final, FER confirmed their dominance once again, taking gold against Maribor.

In volleyball, the team from Zadar finished in fourth place but was awarded the Fair Play award. FER claimed third place, second place went to the University of Pula, while Kosovo’s team took the gold once again.

Besides the gold, silver and bronze medals, other awards were given at the tournament, as well:

The Fair play award in the volleyball competition was given to Unviersity of Zadar, while in the basketball competition it went in the proud hands of Polytechnic of Karlovac. The award for Most Valuable Player in the volleyball competition belonged to Jona Krasniqi (KOS).  In the Slam dunk contest the best was Branimir Stanković from Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computing (CRO).

At the end of the tournament, participants shared their impressions and emotions:

Vedran Hernaus (FER): "This is our second time at this tournament, and this season we won, we took the title! I feel amazing. The tournament is very well organized, and we always enjoy the warm hospitality. Everything is top-notch, and we really love coming back here. Basically, we have fun at this tournament and enjoy every moment. Thank you!"

Aurora Berisha (University of Sport in Kosovo): "My name is Aurora Berisha, and I’m from Kosovo. This is my first time here, and I absolutely loved it. We had so much fun, and all the teams were amazing. The referees were also very fair and professional. Of course, the tension was high at times, but we enjoyed every moment of it. I hope to see you again next year. Thank you so much – it’s been such a wonderful experience!"

Once again, the tournament proved that sports are not just about competition but also about bringing people together, creating new friendships, and making memories that will last a lifetime. Looking forward to next year's 28th edition!

For more information, please see XXVII. International Student Christmas Tournament or https://www.unidu.hr/eng/