Croatian Radio-Television (HRT) will broadcast the opening and closing ceremonies of the European Universities Games, provide live broadcasts of some sports competitions and run special daily shows hosted by the former professional skier Nika Fleiss. This is the result of the cooperation agreement signed by acting director general of the HRT, Siniša Kovačić, and Zrinko Čustonja, the president of the European University Games Zagreb – Rijeka 2016. The agreement was signed at a press conference held at one of the HRT’s television studios.
Zagreb and Rijeka will host the third European Universities Games from July 12 to 25, and Croatian Radio- Television will be an important part of this beautiful sports story.
“I am proud of Croatian Radio-Television for being part of this great event. The goal of a public media service such as the HRT is to promote sport, humaneness, community, youth development, tolerance and excellence, and these are the core values promoted by the European Universities Games,” stated Siniša Kovačić, acting director general of Croatian Radio-Television. He invited all HRT viewers and Croatian citizens in general to watch the sports competitions and be good hosts.
“The greatest value of the European Universities Games lies in the fact that they are a universal sports movement of the youth. All who are involved in the Games are united by one important goal – to adopt civilizational values based on work as the basis of success and dignity in both victory and defeat,” stated the Rector of University of Zagreb Damir Boras.
“The European Universities Games are the proof that sports and its values are larger than the event itself, and they mean a lot to the Campus of the University of Rijeka. Thanks to them, the Campus will truly come to life for the first time, and this event will also improve the position of university sports and sporting identity in general,” stated Pero Lučin, the Rector of the University of Rijeka.
Young people from all around Europe will fill the streets and sports venues of Zagreb and Rijeka in July, something which the citizens of these cities are looking forward to. Not only that the European Universities Games will help promote Croatia in the peak of the tourist season, but they will also have a lasting legacy of their own, leaving behind newly built and refurbished student accommodation facilities, renovated sports venues, and a high quality system of academic sports.
“We have invested a lot in the city’s sports facilities, since the improvement of these facilities was the main precondition for the European Universities Games to take place. There will be around 1500 EUG participants in Rijeka and I am sure they will not be disappointed by what our city has to offer them. This is also a unique opportunity for the further promotion of both the city and the entire region,” stated Marko Filipović, the Deputy Mayor of Rijeka.
“The City of Zagreb has invested in the renovation of twenty seven sports facilities and this is why we are happy that many athletes and tourists are coming. We have prepared a variety of activities in the city and many outdoor stages to make all participants feel as comfortable as possible,” stated Tedi Lušetić, the deputy head of the Department of Culture, Education and Sports of the City of Zagreb.
Basic sports in which students will compete are mini football, basketball, football, futsal, tennis, table tennis, badminton, volleyball and handball. Additional sports include beach volleyball, rowing, rugby 7, bridge, chess, golf, judo, 3 x 3 basketball, karate, sport climbing, and taekwondo. Demonstrative sports include swimming and water polo. For the first time, competitions will be held for persons with disabilities, namely in table tennis and swimming, and young athletes will have the support of the Croatian Ministry of Science, Education and Sports.
“The European Universities Games are a superb academic sports event that will gather students and athletes from a variety of European countries. We are proud to once again be hosts of such a great event, which will become part of sports history. I am sure that we will live up to expectations and I now want to welcome all athletes and invite them to enjoy not only sports, but also the beauty of the two host cities, Zagreb and Rijeka. I wish all competitors to achieve great results. I hope that they will keep the European Universities Games and Croatia in good memory,” said Janica Kostelić, the most successful Croatian female athlete in history and the current adviser for sports of the Ministry of Science, Education and Sports.
The European Universities Games have been held twice so far, in Cordoba in 2012 and in Rotterdam in 2014. The main organizer the European University Sports Association (EUSA), while the organization of the European University Games Zagreb – Rijeka 2016 is led by the Croatian Academic Sports Federation (HASS), in partnership with the Ministry of Science, Education and Sports, the Cities of Zagreb and Rijeka and the Universities of Zagreb and Rijeka.
“We owe special thanks to Croatian Radio-Television and its acting director general Siniša Kovačević, because without their support the European University Games would not have the significance they have now. Also, I would especially like to thank all volunteers, who were ready to work days and nights to make this project become a reality,” the president of the European University Games, Zrinko Čustonja, pointed out.
In the organizational and financial sense, the European Universities Games 2016 will be on par with the World Handball Championship held in Croatia in 2009.
Croatian citizens who will not have the opportunity to support the athletes live at sports venues will be able to watch live broadcasts of sports competitions, special shows, and highlights of all events daily on Channel Two of Croatian Television (HRT- HTV 2).
“The image we will be sending from Croatia every day is a true promotion of Croatia, of youth and sport. All public televisions in Europe will get a few minutes of highlights from us each day and many viewers will thus get the opportunity to see what is going on at sports venues in Zagreb and Rijeka,” explained Bruno Kovačević, the manager of the Production Sports Department of Croatian Radio-Television.
At today’s press conference, the professional current and former athletes Danira Bilić, Gordan Kožulj, Maida Arslanagić, Katarina Maloča Mrčela, Tihana Nemčić, Krunoslava Kauzlarić and Besim Aliti expressed their support for the great sporting event, together with Hrki, the mascot of this year’s European Universities Games.
The slogan of the European University Games is: “Heart believes, mind achieves” All participants of the conference believe that during the EUG, young people will enjoy sports, have fun, make many new friendships and create pleasant and lasting memories of the event.
