Students representing 383 European universities will come to Łódź. For two weeks, nearly 5,000 multilingual speakers will show up at more than a dozen locations in Łódź to compete in sports, but also to meet new friends and have fun. For, as open water swimming champion Aleksandra Bednarek, one of the EUG ambassadors, says
- An important value of sports events is that they bring people together. We make new friends, we get to know new cultures and this is what I wish for every athlete, every organiser who will take part in the Games in Łódź.
Representatives from 37 countries will compete in 20 disciplines. Poland will be represented by more than 450 student-athletes from 51 universities. Almost 1,000 volunteers, who are easily recognisable by their navy blue t-shirts with the event logo, are already supporting participants and fans, and will continue to do so over the next two weeks. They have come to Łódź from more than 50 countries around the world, from New Zealand to Brazil.
Lodz University of Technology has entered athletes in 12 disciplines for the EUG 2022. Water polo, swimming and karate athletes will compete for medals - medals are expected here, as well as in sport climbing, basketball, volleyball, handball and judo. Jan Kałusowski, a representative of TUL, successfully competing in the Polish Championships and one of the favourites to win, inviting people to the swimming pool in the Sports Bay assured - There will be a lot of excitement!
On 15 July, a press conference was held at Geyer Gardens which will be one of the arenas for the Games. Prof. Krzysztof Jóźwik, rector of TUL, emphasised what a great and ambitious challenge it is in many respects for the university to organise such a great event as the European Universities Games.
- I hope that the EUG will be one of the most beautiful events to take place in Łódź. I would like to thank everyone who has contributed to this sporting and academic celebration, the entire staff who have been working for a long time to get us to the point where we are today. I would also like to thank the Ministry of Education and Science for providing the funding. I wish the athletes a wonderful competition and many moments of joy and fun.
For the city authorities, represented at the meeting with journalists by Vice President Adam Pustelnik, the promotional aspect of the Games is very important
- Our city will be visited by thousands of students who study at European universities, but also come from other countries of the world, such as Malaysia, China, Singapore and the United States.
EUSA President Adam Roczek stressed that these Games are a particularly moving event for him, because as President he opened the first EUG competition in 2012 and after 10 years he lived to see it come to Poland. He pointed out that this was the first opportunity after the pandemic for such a large group to come together for an event that is organised by students for students. Referring to the international nature of the event and the current war situation in the world, he said: "I would like to thank the Rector, Prof Krzysztof Jóźwik, for deciding to admit students from Ukraine, whose national team includes 300 persons, to the Games free of charge.
One of the reasons for inviting journalists was the presentation of a postage stamp specially prepared for the European Universities Games. As Lucyna Pyrgiel-Augustyniak, Director of the Polish Post Network Region in Łódź, said
- The event, which is about to begin, will be remembered for a very long time and will certainly go down in the history of Łódź. Such ambitious undertakings are excellent themes for their immortalisation on postage stamps. Today, the Polish Postal Service is launching a special stamp for the European Universities Games in Łódź, featuring the EUGenio unicorn, the official mascot of the Games.
The stamp, issued in an edition of 126,000 pieces, will not only be available in postal outlets across the country. For the athletes who will come to Łódź from nearly 40 European countries, the Polish Post Office will locate mobile points on the campuses of Lodz University of Technology and the University of Łódź. At these venues, athletes will be able to buy stamps (PLN 8 each) and stick them on the postcards they have received in the athlete's kits to send to their loved ones.