Almost 6000 participants from over 400 universities and colleges in 41 countries competed in 24 sports, including, for the first time in the history of the European Universities Games, two para sports competitions – para swimming and para table tennis. This was the conclusion of a reception organized by the Primorje-Gorski Kotar Country, the City of Rijeka, the University of Rijeka and the European Universities Games Zagreb – Rijeka 2016, which was held for EUSA and national university sports associations (NUSA) senior officials. The reception took place on Monday, July 25, at the Grand Hotel Bonavia.
The Rector of the University of said that the Games brought many novelties to the University, but the most important are the new student dormitories, which welcomed their first residents. Thus the University Campus came to life in a whole new way.
Rijeka Mayor Vojko Obersnel said he was satisfied with what was achieved and believed that this sucess was based on the enthusiasm of the organizers and the effort of the volunteers. After sports, said Obersnel, Rijeka will now turn to culture, preparing to bear the title of the European Capital of Culture.
Primorje-Gorski Kotar County Prefect Zlatko Komadina hoped that the participants had enjoyed Croatia’s hospitality and diversity, stating he was certain they would come again, for personal or business reasons.
Vice president of EUSA (European University Sports Association) and the EUG Haris Pavletić thanked all partners, presenting them with convenient gold, silver and bronze medals, stating that they deserved them. He repeated the motto of the European Universities Games ‘Heart believes, mind achieves’ and admitted that the entire organizational team had lived by these words over the last three years.
EUSA President Adam Roczek praised the exceptional synergy of all partners. He congratulated the Mayor of Opatija Ivo Dujmić the Day of St. James, patron saint of Opatija, which had recently hosted a European university competition in taekwondo. Roczek said he was sad to leave Rijeka, but was looking forward to new projects.
Daniel Montero, a representative of the host city of the next Games, Coimbra, expressed his hope to see everyone again in two years in Portugal.
The most successful, the largest and the best organized European Universities Games will end today. The bar is set high for Coimbra and Portugal, where the next games will take place in 2018.
