The Hungarian city of Miskolc hosted a two-day Supervision Commission meeting on 13-14 February 2024, where local organisers provided an update on their continued progress in organising the next edition of the European Universities Games 2024.

The Commission was led by EUSA Sports Manager Miha Zvan, Education & Development Manager Sara Rozaman, Consultant Natasa Jankovic, Sports Administrator Aleksandra Andreeva, Sports Officer Eszter Gulyas and Media Coordinator Salvatore Sisca. The delegation of the EUG2024 Organising Committee included representatives of the Hungarian University Sports Federation, led by Secretary General Peter Juhasz, who welcomed everyone reflecting the commitment of the Organising Committee, OC Project Manager Szabolcs Biro, Laszlo Vegh, Gyorgy Kovacs, Tamara Toth, and MEFS Board Member and EUSA EC Member Zoltan Rakaczki. 

Zita Horvat, Rector of the University of Miskolc, welcomed the Commission on 13 February and thanked everyone for their work in preparing this event, a very important opportunity for her academic institution and a perfect culmination of the dedication that the University of Miskolc has put into organising major cultural and university sports events, such as the EUSA EUC Badminton in 2023. 

It was a very productive and interesting meeting. EUSA
It was a very productive and interesting meeting. EUSA

Prof. Dr. Horvat expressed her pride in the ongoing preparations, all the staff of the Local Organising Committee and the common goal of involving as many local students, organisations and volunteers as possible in the next Summer Games. 

Mr Miha Zvan thanked the hosts for their efforts and stressed the importance of teamwork in this two-city event, and the crucial role of these sessions of visits and meetings. As the motto of the event says, the European Games 2024 will be "More than Games" and the visits of the Supervision Commission are more than meetings: a great opportunity to strengthen teams, hopes and expectations. 

Mr Zoltan Rakaczki welcomed everyone and presented legal aspects about the involvement of the National Event Management Agency (NRÜ), present with its representatives David Benedikti, Peter Horvath, Miklos Kantuly and Agota Schnell. He then introduced the various representatives and colleagues of the LOC, the local organisers of Miskolc and the Debrecen OC delegation. 

Dr. Szabolcs Biro gave an updated overview by functional areas based on the approved organisation chart and the various institutions involved. He presented the final and confirmed sports programme and the approved master plan of the event. The implementation of communication and branding was mentioned, followed by the remarks on the successful monitoring of the registration process.

Debrecen-Miskolc will host the 2024 European Universities Games. EUSA
Debrecen-Miskolc will host the 2024 European Universities Games. EUSA

Further details were provided on the transport and connectivity plan, as well as many updates on the accommodation and catering solutions to be implemented, the international affairs programme, volunteer management and the initial protocol for the opening and closing ceremonies. 

The day then continued at the DVTK Stadium with a series of group discussions focusing on all the main aspects of the ongoing organisation: the small working groups reported and discussed in detail the state of play in their respective areas, together with representatives from Lounge Ltd. and Sport-Events Ltd. 

These fruitful meetings were followed by inspection visits to some of the venues on the campus of the University of Miskolc. On 14 February, the meeting of the Supervision Commission ended in the morning, when Ms Natasa Jankovic thanked the local organisers for their hard work and set the next steps and a series of regular report meetings for a successful and memorable event next year. 

Debrecen-Miskolc will host the 7th edition of the European Universities Games, from 12-24 July 2024, with more than 4500 athletes expected to compete in the biggest university sports event in Hungary since 1965.