Counting down to the Universities Games

The biggest European sporting event for students will kick off soon. Talented sporters from all over Europe will come to Rotterdam for sixteen days to play a student version of the Olympic Games.

It was a joyful announcement by the European University Sports Association (EUSA) at the end of 2011 that they had made their decision: the second edition of the European University Games (EUG), in 2014, would be held in Rotterdam, thereby beating the Polish city of Wroclaw to the punch. In a less than three weeks it will finally be there.

Busy schedule

The organization will spare no expense for the opening ceremony on July 24th, which will be hosted by the former top hockey player and member of student association Laurentius, Fatima Moreira de Melo. Among others, student band Head First, drum corps Jubal and DJ Lucien Foort will make their presence heard in stadium Woudestein, which will host, next to the opening ceremony, also the final soccer match. In addition to soccer, until August 8th, there will be fought for medals in nine other sports: table tennis, hand ball, futsal, tennis, rugby, rowing, basketball, volleyball and badminton.

Master classes

Of course, at the EUG it will first and foremost be about sport competitions at the tip of the sword, but also – as befits a university –  there will be all kinds of interesting talks and lectures about sports. Among other themes, gender equality, city branding and the position of LGBT-sportsmen will be paid attention to in the so-called master classes which will be held in the Erasmus Pavilion.  

Rotterdam’s participants

Because the level at the EUG will probably very high, not every student team from Rotterdam can compete just like that. “The teams who really don’t stand a chance will not participate,” says marketing and communication manager Gaby Dijkstra. Ultimately, three teams from our own soil will be there: the tennis players from RSTV Passing Shot, the rugby players from RSRC and the rowers from Skadi. Dijkstra regrets that there are no more teams, but has a lot of confidence in the participating crews from Rotterdam. “All these teams are coming with a very strong delegation, and I do not exclude that they will also actually compete for prices.” MvS

Want to kno more about the European University Games from July 24th to August 8th? Check out www.eugames2014.eu