EUSA Year Magazine 2023-2024

EUROPEAN UNIVERSITY SPORTS ASSOCIATION YEAR MAGAZINE 2023-24^98

5. EUSA PROJECTS

EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES

The European University Sports Association continuously promotes

equality, respect and full inclusion of student athletes, while simultaneously

promoting the spirit of fair play and sport values, at all our events.

Gender

All ELSA’s sporting events are
inclusive of all genders, and
this is something that EUSA
does not take for granted and
something that the association
is extremely proud of. Having
said this, reflecting on the
gender balance of the European
Universities Championships
2023 participants, athletes,
coaches and officials, we can
say that 57 % of the athletes
were men and 43 % of the
athletes were women. When
it comes to the officials, 77 %
were men and 23 % were
women. Although the ratio is
tending to improve with every
upcoming year, we acknowledge
there is more to be done, and
we strive to continue the road
towards a more balanced
participation of male and female

participants at EUSA future

events.

Socio-Economic Status

To strengthen and support

its member federations, the

national university sports

bodies across Europe, so the

organisation and conditions of

each of our members are very

diverse, is remaining one of the

aims of EUSA. Recognising the

fact that not all EUSA members

have the same funding

opportunities, the decision of

launching a development fund

was made, aiming to develop

and make university sport

throughout Europe stronger.

With the support of the Club

of Donors, EUSA is able to

secure a development fund,

for each year, planned to be

distributed primarily to those

with little or no participation in

EUSA events in recent years.

In 2023, this helping body

donated all resources to the

solidarity fund, used solely to

support the athletes coming

from Ukraine, to participate in

the EUSA European Universities

Championships.

Disabilities

Since the inclusion of athletes

with disabilities for the first time

in the European Universities

Games in 2016, EUSA has

continued to search for ways

to build a more open path

for inclusivity in our events.

Following the inclusion of

Para Table Tennis at the last

European Universities Games

in 2022, EUSA together with

the organisers plan to include

Para Table Tennis and Sittina

Volleyball into the sport

program of next year’s European

Universities Games in Debrecen-

Miskolc, Hungary.

Besides this discipline, as part

of the official sport program of

last year’s European Universities

Games in Lodz, Sitting Volleyball

and Para Weightlifting were

present as promo events. In 2022,

EUSA became the patronage

organization of the European

Boccia Integrative Championship,

that inaugurally took place in

Poland. EUSA recognises that

university sport can still make

great improvements regarding

the inclusion of all students into

sports, and with having partners

as the European Paralympic

Committee, we strongly believe

we will continue making progress

and changes in the future.