Zagreb and Rijeka will play host to the European Universities Games in July 2016 it was announced on Saturday. The cities joint bid was successful in beating the Portuguese city of Coimbra at the second day of the European Universities Sports Association (EUSA) Executive Committee meeting in Ljubljana, Slovenia.
Chairman of the Bidding Committee for Croatia Goran Kozulj told press that the Games in 2016 will have a different concept to normal as was seen in Zagreb in 1987, ‘‘This isn’t a competition between countries but universities who can be represented by foreign students including those aged up to 28.’’
The costs of the event are mostly carried by the competitors themselves, or rather their universities who pay around 40%. The competitions will take place at already existing sports stadiums and grounds, meaning no new constructions are required. Competitors will reside in student dorms with two thirds of the games held in Zagreb and the remaining third in Rijeka.
Sports that will form the games include: basketball, volleyball, handball, football, badminton, tennis, judo and water polo.
