Two hundred athletes from twenty two institutions – the European Universities Championships will start on July 13th

Miskolc will host the European Universities Badminton Championship and the European Universities Water Polo Championship from July 13th to 19th, 2023. Two hundred athletes from eleven countries representing 22 European higher education institutions will participate in the international sports event. The championships are organized by the University of Miskolc and the Miskolc University Athletic and Football Club in cooperation with the Hungarian University and College Sports Federation, the Hungarian Badminton Federation, the Hungarian Water Polo Federation, and the Municipality of Miskolc.

The European University Sports Association (EUSA) organizes the University European Championships in different locations for various sports disciplines in odd years. This year, sports events will be held across Europe in 20 different sports, and the University of Miskolc will host the badminton and water polo championships from July 13th to July 19th. The championships serve as an official test event for the 2024 European Universities Games (EUG), as announced during the press conference held on July 6th in the glass lobby of the University of Miskolc.

"The University of Miskolc is not only capable of achieving results in education and science but also in sports diplomacy," stated Dr. Judit Varga, the Minister of Justice, during the event. According to her, this was made possible by the university's model change, which the Hungarian government committed to supporting the development of institutions. The University of Miskolc has initiated developments supporting the Green and Smart Campus concept, for which an additional state funding of HUF 20.6 billion has been allocated for investments necessary to prepare for the 2024 European Universities Games. Prof. Dr. Zita Horváth, the Rector of the University of Miskolc, confirmed that not only has the university made progress in international scientific rankings in the past two years, but renovation works improving the quality of teaching and student services have also been carried out. The construction of the Scientific Data Analytics Methodology Center and Open Research Data Source Archive, with a budget of tens of billions, is nearing completion. This project creates a unique collaboration between a higher education institution and a public collection, the Hungarian National Archives, on a national scale. Regarding funding related to university sports, she mentioned that the financing agreement between the university and the government includes support for sports activities, with the government providing HUF 130 million, which has never happened before in the university's history.

"The university's investments and the renewal felt in cultural and sports life indicate that the University of Miskolc has embarked on a new path. The developments realized here have an impact on the city where the university operates, and Miskolc also benefits from it," declared János Kiss, a member of the Hungarian Parliament, who has been involved in the preparations for hosting the 2024 European Universities Games since the beginning.

"The 2023 European Universities Championships and the 2024 European Universities Games reinforce and emphasize that Hungary actively participates in the European Union," emphasized Péter Juhász, Secretary-General of the Hungarian University and College Sports Federation. He also mentioned that next year, for the largest student sports event in Europe, which will further highlight the University of Miskolc on the regional map, they expect about 6,000 participants from 40 countries and 450 universities. To conclude the press conference, Zoltán Rakaczki, President of the Miskolc University Athletic and Football Club, shared technical details about the event, whose official opening will take place on July 13th, while the competitions will start on July 14th.

In the 2023 European Universities Badminton Championship, 11 countries - France, the Netherlands, Ireland, Poland, Hungary, Great Britain, Germany, Portugal, Switzerland, Turkey, and Ukraine - will participate with 16 teams. Hungary will be represented by the Hungarian University of Physical Education, the University of Pécs, the University of Szeged, and the University of Miskolc. The matches will take place at the DVTK Arena, while the training sessions will be held at the Miskolc University Sports Hall.

Due to the ongoing Russian-Ukrainian conflict for over a year, the Organizing Committee of the European University Badminton Championship in Miskolc has decided to fully cover the costs of one Ukrainian university badminton team consisting of 7 members, apart from travel expenses. The European Universities Water Polo Championship will be held with the participation of seven teams, including four Hungarian teams: the University of Pécs, the University of Debrecen, Corvinus University of Budapest, and Budapest Business School. Alongside them, there will be a team from Delft University of Technology (Netherlands) and two teams from Bristol and Oxford (England). The matches and training sessions will take place at the Ellipsum Outdoor Bath at Miskoltapolca.

During the press conference about the programs of the University European Championships in Miskolc, it was mentioned that the organizers will provide high-quality leisure programs for athletes and their accompanying staff, which serve community building and ensure a good atmosphere. The event goes beyond itself and offers a unique community experience, providing a glimpse into the green and smart vision of the University of Miskolc, which is based on centuries-old traditions of the city and the university and conveys a message to future generations.

The organizers expect around 150 volunteers for the competitions. For them, the university offers educational, individual competence development, and self-awareness activities as accompanying programs.