EUSA Year Magazine 2023-2024

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FAIR PLAY

With the European Fair Play Movement (EFPM) as our partner, EUSA strongly

promotes the spirit of fair play at all our events, having its values deeply

embedded in EUSA, while we are emphasising the importance of sportsmanship

and the positive approach to sport across our 20+ years of existence.

Fair play is present in sports as
an unwritten rule, a moral value
that represents the real essence
of sport. It represents that
opponents must be appreciated
and nowadays practising of
sports, more than ever, it is
vitally important to defend the
values intrinsic to sport: respect
for oneself and others, solidarity,
and fair play.

European University Sports
Association (EUSA) is an official
partner of the European Fair
Play Movement (EFPM), who is
a member of the International
Fair Play Committee (IFPC).
The values of fair play, equality,
ethics, and clean sport without
doping and without match-fixing
are at the core of EUSA sport
and other events.

The fair play initiative was
strongly encouraged at all EUSA
sporting championships this
year, and apart from having
positive messages involving fair

play oaths red by athletes and

referees at all sports events,

multiple fair play awards were

given across these competitions.

At this year’s European

Universities Championships,

happening around Europe, the

Fair Play award was presented

for technical aspects of the

games at various medal

ceremonies in futsal, handball,

beach handball, beach

volleyball, basketball, volleyball,

football, 3x3 basketball and

rugby 7s.

EUSA and EFPM have been

long-time partners, promoting

fair play and positive values

in sport. To celebrate and

commemorate this long-time

partnership, the President of the

European Fair Play Movement

(EFPM) Philippe Housiaux

and Executive Committee

member Robert Perc met with

the Secretary General of the

European University Sports

Association (EUSA) Matjaz

Pecovnik on May 10 in Ljubljana.

In this meeting, the topic of

discussion was mainly the

existing cooperation and

potential new ways, initiatives,

and strategies of promoting

fair play principles – fair

competition, respect, friendship,

team spirit, equality, sport

without doping, respect for

written and unwritten rules such

as integrity, solidarity, tolerance,

care, excellence, and joy, on and

off the field.

The 4th edition of the ceremony

to celebrate World Fair Play Day

2023 was held again on 7th of

September and it was dedicated

to “Peace Through Sport”. The

aim of this special day is to

underline the fact that Fair Play

needs to be promoted both

through large-scale operations,

as well as through simple

gestures, to make this day a

genuine celebration of Fair Play

in sport and to show the positive

impact it has on society.

EUSA has always awarded

exemplary behaviour on the

sports field and will continue

with the same practice and

vision, that through sport and

values like fair play, following

the respect for both written

and unwritten rules, equality,

integrity, solidarity, tolerance,

care, and joy, we can contribute

to building a peaceful society

and ultimately a better future.

The fair play initiative will also

be strongly encouraged at all

European Universities Games in

2024, as well as the following

season of the European

Universities Championships

2025.