UV has qualified to compete in 8 sports disciplines: chess, climbing, handball, judo, karate, kickboxing, taekwondo and volleyball. The team of UV athletes will face the best university athletes in Europe in the Polish city of Lodz, which will be hosting the Games from July 15th to 30th.
Lodz, Poland's third largest city, will host the sixth edition of the European University Games, the largest multi-sport academic event in Europe, organised every two years by the European University Sports Association (EUSA). Approximately 5,000 athletes from 40 countries and 400 universities are expected to compete in 20 disciplines.
The Universitat de València expedition that will travel to Poland is made up of around 100 people, including athletes, coaches, trainers, sports delegates and support staff. The Universitat de València will be represented in 8 sports disciplines:
- Climbing
The climbing championship will take place in the Sports Bay sports complex of the Lodz University of Technology from July 28th to 30th.
The climbing championship will take place in the Sports Bay sports complex of the Lodz University of Technology from July 28th to 30th. Climbers Iker Ortiz Tudela - who won gold at the Spanish University Championship of Climbing 2022 held last May - and Pau Congost Escoin will represent the Universitat de València, supported by their coach Mónica Sánchez Villaplana.
- Chess
The Chess competition will be held from July 16th to 19th in the EC1 complex of the city of Lodz, a former Power Plant now converted into a cultural facility.
Representing the Universitat de València will be the chess players José Joaquín Fernández Torralba and Adrián Galiana Fernández, together with their coach Ramón García Pérez.
The Universitat de València won the bronze medal in the Spanish University Championship (CEU) of chess, which took place last April in Malaga.
- Volleyball
The Universitat de València volleyball teams, both men's and women's, will travel to the Polish city, where they will play matches from July 16th to 22nd in the Venue Zgierz Nowa and Atlas Arena sports complexes.
The women's volleyball team are especially motivated for the European Championship, the solidity of their game and strength in defence led them to win silver at the Spanish University Championship last May and there is great confidence that they will manage to make the podium in Lodz.
- Kickboxing
The kickboxing competition - a discipline that combines the principles of muay-thai and karate - will be held from July 16th to 18th at the Venue Skorupki pavilion of the Polish city.
The Universitat de València kickboxing fighter, Kevin Koffi, will fight for the medal in the Kick Light -84kg category, under the guidance of his coach Patrik Pascal.
- Judo
The Universitat de València judo team, led by Vicente Rochela, will compete at the Venue Zgierz Nowa sports complex in Lodz from July 24th to 26th.
The 21-year-old judoka Laura Torres will be the only female representative of the UV in the European University Games in Lodz, competing in the -48kg category. In the men's competition, in the -60 category, will be Luis Barroso - who won silver at the Spanish University Championships of Judo 2022 - and Gorka Sánchez Velasco. Guillermo Capriani (-66 category), who won the silver medal at the CEU of judo in May, will also be in Lodz. Aitor Goikoetxea (-73) and Gorka Arambarri (-90) will complete the judo team.
- Taekwondo
We continue with combat sports, specifically with the Tekwondo championship, which will take place at the Venue Skorupki sports complex of Lodz from July 28th to 30th.
The University team, led by its coach Estefanía Almela, arrives at the event after having won 3 medals in the combat category at the Spanish University Championships held last May. The team that will travel to Poland is made up of Paula Temina, who won silver at the CEU in bantamweight -53 kg; Neus Domenech, who won bronze at the nationals in middleweight (-73); and, completing the UV taekwondo team, Jorge Díaz, who competes in the -74 kg category.
- Karate
The UV Karate team, under the guidance of their coach Rubén Rubio, arrives at the championship in Lodz with many possibilities after achieving great results at individual and team level at the Spanish University Championships this year. The Universitat de València karate team won silver by finishing second in the overall team classification at the CEU 2022.
On an individual level, Hugo Ballester (-67) - who won gold at the national university tournament -, Patricia Peso (-50), Iván Ferrer (-84) and Víctor Rubio (-75), all three of whom won bronze at the CEU in April, will compete in Kumite.
Our karateka will compete for the title of the 2022 European University Games from July 28th to 30th at the Venue Zgierz Nowa sports complex in Lodz.
- Handball
The UV men's and women's handball teams, under the guidance of their coaches Sagrario Santana and Juan Ángel Perdigón, will travel to Lodz where they will compete against the best teams from European universities from July 25th to 30th. The matches will be played in two sports halls in the Polish city: the Atlas Arena and the Venue Anilana.
The UV men's handball team was proclaimed champion of Spain in the university tournament held last May in Murcia. Its recent results and the good feelings of its game make it one of the great favourites to achieve a good place in Lodz.
"From the Sports Service of the UV we wish our expedition of athletes all the luck for the championship, but the priority is always to enjoy a sporting and personal experience for life".
- Further information about the European University Games on the UVSports website
- Visit the official website of Lodz games
*Pictures: CEU of Murcia. Image courtesy of UCAM (©Antonio)
