President Milanović Receives Students who Won Medals at European University Championships and World University Games
“This what you are doing is nice, affirmative for Croatia, for Croatian universities as a whole and I support you in this”, the President of the Republic Zoran Milanović told students today who won medals at European university championships in 2023, and at the World University Games held in Chengdu, China. Student athletes from the University of Zagreb, University of Split, University of Rijeka, University of Zadar and Edward Bernays University of Applied Sciences won a total of 39 medals this year.
President Milanović congratulated the students on their sports achievements, and told them he is aware of how hard it is, even impossible to combine university commitments and commitments related to quality and high performance sports. “My respect for what you are doing is deep. I see and receive many people here, everyone comes with some reason or other, and I always see how much effort, sacrifice, self-denial, risk and uncertainty is invested in someone’s life path and in someone’s results, it’s not the same everywhere”, President Milanović stated in his address.
The president of the Croatian Academic Sports Association Haris Pavletić said that students won 17 medals last year while this year they won 39. Moreover, he noted that the Croatian Academic Sports Association was successful in organizing two European university championships: the European university championship in martial arts in Zagreb, and the European university championship in futsal in Split. Furthermore, he confirmed that preparations are under way to apply for and organize the European University Games in Split in 2028.
The vice rector of the University of Zagreb Jasenka Ostojić highlighted the exceptional sports achievements of all universities in the Republic of Croatia, and especially the University of Zagreb. In this sense she noted that the European University Sports Association presented an award to the University of Zagreb for being the most active in Europe twice and an award for being the most successful sports university in Europe three times.
We are extremely proud of our students who not only represented the University of Zagreb, but also the City of Zagreb and the Republic of Croatia in a major competition of 600 universities and 36 European countries. We are proud of our students, they are the strength of our University. With this award the University of Zagreb demonstrated a continuity of academic sports in Zagreb and Croatia, joining the list of those who successfully represent the Republic of Croatia and are its best promoter and ambassador”, the vice chancellor of the University of Zagreb stated, underlining that all Croatian universities share common goals of supporting sports youth and talents for whose development they are responsible.
More than 430 students from Croatia participated in as many as 12 European university championships during a two-month period, achieving excellent results and winning 39 medals. Two European university championships were held this year in Croatia – in Zagreb and in Split – thus these two exceptionally strong university sports centres continue the tradition of strong participation of Croatian university sports in international frameworks, and the University of Zagreb this year again was the most successful European university. In August this year, China hosted the 31st edition of the FISU World University Games, formerly the Universiade, which assembled 6,500 athletes from 113 countries.
Attending the meeting with President Milanović in addition to the president of the Croatian Academic Sports Association Haris Pavletić and the vice rector of the University of Zagreb Jasenka Ostojić were the vice dean of Edward Bernays University of Applied Sciences Ivan Pakozdi, representatives of the Croatian Academic Sports Association, the University of Zagreb Sports Association, the Federation of the University of Split, their coaches and medal winners.
Alongside President Milanović was the Commissioner to the President for Sports Željko Jovanović.
PHOTO: Office of the President of the Republic of Croatia / Marko Beljan