President Milanović Receives Student-Competitors and Medal Winners at European University Games
The President of the Republic Zoran Milanović received today students, competitors and medal winners of the 2022 European University Games, the FISU World University Cup in Martial Arts, and representatives of the Croatian Academic Sports Association.
Congratulating the students on their athletic achievements President Milanović told them he values their work and efforts because he is aware of how difficult it is to be a student and an excellent athlete. “I value this dedication. I hope there is understanding for this, this is complicated. Top-class sports are exceptional, very few people can manage this. You are among them and you have my deep respect”, the President noted.
The President of the Croatian Academic Sports Association Haris Pavletić said that the system of academic sports on the national level include about five thousand athletes, both men and women, who take part in competitions, and the entire system has over 20 thousand people. Since the student athletes from the University of Zagreb achieved the best results last year, at the meeting of the Executive Committee of the European University Association, the 2022 annual awards were confirmed, and the University of Zagreb was declared the best and the most active, Pavletić underlined.
The Rector of the University of Zagreb Stjepan Lakušić underlined that the University supports its student athletes and takes into account that in the framework of its teaching programmes top-notch athletes get special treatment allowing them to further be successful not only in their studies but also in sports.
The European University Games held in July this year in Łódź, Republic of Poland, are one of the largest multi-sports events in Europe in which European student athletes participate, representatives of their universities, polytechnics and colleges. This year the European University Games assembled 4,800 students from 441 European universities and 37 states, and competitions were held in 20 sports during two weeks. Croatian representatives won a total of 17 medals in team and individual sports, and the students from the University of Zagreb led the way with four gold, four silver and six bronze medals with the prestigious title of the University with the largest number of medals won.
As a token of his support to academic sports President Milanović accepted patronage over the 22nd edition of the “UniSport Finals” event and the international conference on academic sports that will take place in Poreč in June 2023.
Attending the meeting with President Milanović besides the president of the Croatian Academic Sports Association Haris Pavletić and the rector of the University of Zagreb Stjepan Lakušić were the vice-dean for Arts, Culture and Inter-university Cooperation of the University of Zagreb Jasenka Ostojić, the dean of the Polytechnic in Vukovar Željko Sudarić, representatvies of the Croatian Academic Sports Association, the University of Zagreb Sports Federation as well as competitors and medal winners – students of the University of Zagreb, the University of Split, the J.J. Strossmayer University in Osijek and the University of Zadar.
Alongside President Milanović were the Commissioner of the President for Sports Željko Jovanović and the Adviser to the President for Education Jadranka Žarković.
PHOTO: Office of the President of the Republic of Croatia / Marko Beljan