EUSA Insider:
Botond Agoston Nagy
Story: From athlete to local Organizing Committee member of the European Universities Games 2024 in Debrecen - Miskolc
Published 29 August, 2024
1. Can you tell us about your first competition in EUSA events? What sport did you compete in?
My very first tournament was held in Split (2013) and it was a great basketball championship. After we won our first Hungarian University League title we were rewarded with the opportunity to take part in the European Universities Championship . After that, I was lucky enough to compete again in the European Universities Games in Rotterdam and Zagreb and a few years later in at the Poznan for the Basketball Championship.
2. How long have you been involved in your sport, and what initially drew you to it?
I went to my first official practice when I was 3 years old. So it’s been quite a long time. I didn’t really have to choose, my family is coming from basketball. I started to play and a few months later my brother joined me. Since that days we are still in love with basketball.
3. What have been some of the standout moments of your European Universities Games (EUG) experience?
I could tell you so many beautiful and happy memories from the past but if I have to choose I’d mention two things. First one is coming from 2014 when in Rotterdam we beat the defending champions (Split), our team had a great game. The second happened in Poznan, when our team had an effective, but unlucky tournament and I was selected to the All-Star team and I also won the scoring title. Thanks again to my teammates and coaches for these memories.
4. What inspired you to join the EUG 2024 Organising Committee?
I really love basketball but since I’m also a physical education teacher and a coach I wanted to be a part of this multisports event. We organized many things in the past but right before the 2024 Olympics in Paris we could have our mini European Universities Olympics.
5. How did you cope with stress before and during competitions as a student-athlete?
I’m a student but it’s a lot less stress for me these days. Currently I’m working on my PhD so I don’t have that many exams like before, and my topic is of course connected to basketball. From the organizing point of view, my family wanted to give their best to increase the level of the Games so sometimes we had pretty long nights to prepare everything in time and be ready.
6. What were your main goals and aspirations as a member of the Organising Committee for EUG 2024?
As I mentioned before, we wanted to create and have an excellent tournament, so on the upcoming Games the players, coaches, officials will remember back to these days and compare it in a positive way. Maybe one day they will return to our city and have a smile on their faces.
7. How has your preparation for the Games as an Organising Committee member compared to your preparations as an athlete?
In both cases we prepared a lot. As an organizer there were more “mental practices” with tons of meetings and long nights. As an athlete we prepared for several weeks to be in the best physical (and mental) shape for the games.
8. In what ways has your experience as a student-athlete influenced your approach to organising the games?
I think it was a huge help because we could see many things in a more practical way. We could have an idea how to erase the gap between protocols and real life. I think we could propose a nice connection between players, coaches and officials.
9. Can you share a memorable moment from your time as an athlete?
I have a lot of stories but I think the best memory or feeling is when you win, it doesn’t really matter what’s the level. Winning is always fun and worth every minute of the work.
10. How does the experience of being part of the Organising Committee differ from being a student-athlete at the Games?
As an athlete you enjoy your hard work on the competitions and games and on the celebration parties of course. On the other side, before and during the events you work a lot to make these things possible for the participants and when everything is smooth you sit down for a moment and relax and enjoy watching the different sports and challenges.
11. What are some of your best memories from EUSA’s competitions?
Other than the sports challenges that I liked the most, I can tell that in my case it has started with basketball but now along with many other sports I’m lucky enough to say I made really good friends from all around the world. Events like that can easily connect people from different countries, sports, cultures.
12. What do you find most exciting about the EUG 2024 event?
It’s hard to choose one thing. In this role that I filled with my brother we spent a lot of time close to the actions. We could take a slice from every sport and also from the organizing part. Before we could only focus on one sport as an athlete, but this time we had a great overview and we could feel almost every winner’s happiness. Congratulations to you guys and thank you for this opportunity.