In just under two weeks, the University of Miskolc and the Miskolc University Athletics and Football Club (MEAFC) will host the European Universities Championships in Badminton and Water Polo. A total of 200 athletes from 11 countries and 20 universities will come to Miskolc for this international sports event, which will take place between July 13th and July 19th, in cooperation between the European University Sports Association and the Hungarian University Sports Federation.
The European University Sports Association (EUSA) organizes European Universities Championships (EUC) in different locations for various sports every other year. In 2023, EUC will be held in 20 different sports throughout Europe. The University of Miskolc will be hosting the championships for badminton and water polo from July 13th to July 19th.
Daniella Gonda, a badminton player who reached the finals in women's singles at last year's European University Games and finished with a silver medal, is eagerly looking forward to the Badminton European Universities Championship in Miskolc.
"I will also participate in the championship, and I hope to achieve an even brighter medal than last year's silver. The field is competitive, with excellent players. Badminton is a very spectacular sport, so those who attend the matches will definitely have a great time."
Péter Biros, a three-time Olympic gold medalist in water polo from Miskolc, is also eagerly anticipating the Water Polo European University Championship.
"The Hungarian university championship is very strong, just like the national championship, which is one of the strongest in Europe, if not the strongest. There are players who have already proven themselves at both levels, so I expect good matches and high-level clashes. Two English teams, including the University of Oxford, and one Dutch university team will also compete in the tournament, and I expect a Hungarian university victory at the end."
European Universities Games Next Year
This year's Badminton and Water Polo European Universities Championships are the official test events for the 2024 European Universities Games (EUG 2024). The EUG is the largest student sports event in the European continent. In terms of the number of participants, the EUG is the third-largest sports event in the world after the Summer Olympics, attracting attention from European university students, the higher education community, and sports enthusiasts alike.