The European University Games is one of the world’s largest multi-sport events, where athletes from European universities compete against each other. The event is organized every two years by a university city, Debrecen and Miskolc in 2014. More than 5,000 participants from 400 universities in 40 countries are expected to take part in the multisport event, which will feature 17 sports in total, between 12 and 24 July 2024.
The EUG is one of the world’s largest university multi-sport events, bringing together athletes from European higher education institutions, with over 5,000 participants from 400 universities in 40 countries expected to take part this year. This will make the European University Games the biggest sporting event in Hungary since the 1965 Summer Universiade. A total of 1,000 volunteers will help to make the 15 days of competition a success.
The Hungarian delegation will also be a record number, with 581 athletes and 110 chaperones from 22 Hungarian higher education institutions registered for the EUG. László Balogh, Head of the Debrecen Organizing Committee and Director of the DE Institute for Sports Science Coordination, said at the EUG press conference that the University of Debrecen will host 2,200 athletes and hundreds of officials.
The University of Debrecen will be represented by 137 athletes at one of the world’s largest university multi-sport events.
The sports event will see university students compete in 17 sports, including 3×3 basketball, futsal, football, handball and beach handball in Debrecen, badminton and table tennis (and para table tennis), while in Miskolc there will be basketball, volleyball, water polo, tennis, karate, judo, taekwondo, kickboxing, beach volleyball and chess.
The 3×3 basketball matches will be played on the square in front of the main building of the University of Debrecen, the futsal matches will be played in the Főnix Arena, DESOK and the Oláh Gábor Street Sports Hall, while the handball matches will be played in DESOK and the Oláh Gábor Street Sports Hall.
The football matches will be played at the DEAC, the Oláh Gábor Street pitches and the Böszörményi Road Campus. Badminton will be played at the Főnix Arena, while table tennis and para table tennis will be played at the Kossuth High School. Beach handball matches will be played on the DEAC beach handball court.
The official mascot of the VI European University Games will be DEMI, the lynx. The lynx is a predator native to Hungary, the big cat is athletic, fast, playful, clever and highly adaptable. These are the qualities that characterize the best university athletes, which is why the organizers chose the lynx. The name of the mascot is a reference to the joint racing and sporting unity of Debrecen and Miskolc, and is composed of the initial syllables of the names of the two cities.
Miskolc will host the opening ceremony on 12 July, while Debrecen will host the closing ceremony on the first day of the Campus Festival on 24 July, on one of the festival stages.
In addition to sporting competitions, the University Games will also place a strong emphasis on the educational and social aspects of university sport, with supporting programs, workshops and activities to promote inter-university relations.
The legacy of the Games will strengthen university institutions across Europe and contribute to the development of cities and their universities at local level. Promoting the dual career model is a key priority for the organizers, and the event and the organizational phase will focus on the positive impact that sport and higher education can have on each other and on the future of individuals. The slogan of the event, More than Games!
Official website of the event: EUG2024 – Hungary
Watch the events live online here: Watch European Universities Games Debrecen-Miskolc 2024 Live Stream (watchsporttv.com)
