Student sports competitions are specific in the world of sport, because every single person that walks on the court is already a winner. Winners, because every athlete is putting an effort that his or her academic career goes hand in hand with sports results. That will be the case also in Belgrade during fifth European Universities Games in July 2020.

But, even in that case, someone has to win gold, silver or bronze medal. In team sports some universities are more successful than others and we want to show them to you. Will they come to Belgrade and win a medal one more medal time will tell.

Not a single University can brag to be equally good in every sport, but some are absolutely dominant in their own “area of expertise”.

BASKETBALL

When EUSA organized first European Universities Championships, basketball and volleyball were the first two championships ever organized. Since then, there were 14 European Universities Championships and basketball was present at all four European Universities Games so far.

We assume that the Belgrade crow will enjoy the most in basketball, because Serbia has a reputation as a “Land of basketball”, and in that world we have a team that never faced defeat – Vytautas Magnus University from Lithuania.

So far they took part at six EUSA events and won six gold medals. Reason is completely justified, because in every moment Lithuanian National Basketball Team is consisted wit around half of their (former) students. Kuzminskas, Kalnietis, Mačiulis, Jankunas, Milaknis, Gecevičius and others can say that they were part of this University team.

Among ladies you have to pay attention to several names, and local crowd will be happy because the list contains two universities from Serbia.

University of Novi Sad, Russian State Agricultural University won three gold medals each, and University of Belgrade has most medals on their count. Host team of the forthcoming edition of EUG won five medals so far – two gold, one silver and two bronze medals.

3X3 BASKET

Younger brother of Basketball, 3×3 Basket was introduced to the EUSA family of sport and we already have a rivalry that is among the biggest in the world of University sport.

University of Kragujevac and University of Split so far, besides last you EUG in Coimbra, won one of three medals and only once they didn´t play in the final. University of Kragujevac is better so far and they have three gold medals on their count.

When it comes to female competition, University of Ljubljana has four medals won at 3×3 Universities Championships and is surely among the favorites for one more in Belgrade.

FUTSAL

Year after football was introduced to EUSA family of sports, futsal also became a part of it. First futsal Championship was organized in 2004 and for 14 years it is the most exciting competition each year.

Capital city of Croatia, Zagreb, can say that the best male University futsal in Europe is being played there. University of Zagreb and VERN together won 9 medals from University competitions organized by EUSA, six of which belong to University of Zagreb, and three to VERN.

Organizer of the previous edition of European Universities Games, Portuguese city of Coimbra, is home of four medals in female futsal. Most gold medals are won by the University of Rouen, France.

Every year, student futsal gathers a lot of national team players and last year national team coach of Portugal, ruling European Champions, visited final matches of the European Universities Games in Coimbra.

VOLLEYBALL

First ever EUSA European Universities Championship was the volleyball championship held in the city of Užice, Serbia, in 2001. Like basketball volleyball was played total of 18 time ( 14 European Universiteis Championships and 4 EUG).

Women volleyball is among the most exciting sports at European Universities Games because four universities share first place with the number of medals won. University of Vasil Alecsandri from Bacau, Romania leads with two gold and one silver medal. They are followed by University of Technology from Eindhoven, the Netherlands, with one gold and two bronze medals. University of Belgrade won two silver and one bronze medal so far, while Technical University of Munchen, Germany, won one silver and two bronze medals.

In men´s competition University of Ljubljana won four medals, but none of them was gold. Three silver and one bronze medal is in the showcase in the Capital of Slovenia. Most gold medals won two Russian universities – Mordovsky State University and Russian State University for Physical Education, Sport and Tourism with two gold medals won so far.

HANDBALL

Seconf youngest team sport on the list – handball. Since 2006 students didn´t have the opportunity to compete in this sport, but for 12 years we are watching the best that University sport has to offer. But, when it comes to handball, Universities from Braga is a regular contender for one of the medals in men´s competition, while University of Lublin is a serious contender in women´s competition.

Girls from Vincent Pol University from Lublin can brag that eight medals are a part of their showcase, and only one is not gold. Long time ago, in 2011 it will stay remembered that Lvov State University for Physical Education, Ukraine, defeated girls from Poland. First and only defeat for them.

On the other hand, universities from Braga is home of 10 medals and only in 2008 and 2018 they didn´t finish with one. University of Minho has 9 medals in total, and the last one is in the ownership of University of Braga.

TENNIS

White sport at European Universities level is played in the Davis cup format, and each team has up to four players. First time, a tennis championship was organized in 2004 and for 14 years it is a part of EUSA family of sports.

London Metropolitan University won two gold medals and one bronze, and it is the only University with more than one gold. But, Universities from France are home of 10 medals so far.

Women´s competition has a bit “more simple” situation. Moscow University of Economics, Statistics and Informatics won eight medals so far and has to be considered favorites whenever they show up. Out of those eight medals, five are gold, and the rest are silver medals.

FOOTBALL

Most important thing in the world for the end. It sounds strange, but football stepped in the world of University sport in 2003 and suffered a lot of changes, Men played 16 championships so far, a nd ladies had one less.

Reason is that the rules for women´s tournament at European Universities Championships and Games are different than the professional football. Ladies play Football 7, on a half of the pitch. Assumption was that it will raise the quality and the number of participating teams, which it did.

University of Montpellier so far adjusted the best to the new system and won seven medals so far, three out of which were gold. It is probably because they often have players from Lyon football club, current champion of Europe.

In the men´s competition rules are clear and well known and they suit best team of Kuban State University. So far they won five medals and they are the best in University sport.

We hope that we will have the opportunity to watch all teams listed in the text and that they will prove their role of favorites. Also, we hope that besides biggest we will also have the best event, when it comes to quality, in EUSA history.