A new, exciting sports day has passed at the European Universities Games 2026, with three sports competitions officially getting underway.

While athletes took to the courts for the opening matches of Badminton, Tennis and Handball, team representatives and officials joined the General Technical Meetings for the upcoming Beach Volleyball and Rugby 7s competitions.  

The Badminton competition began with the first matches of the team tournament, featuring 20 university teams from across Europe. Teams are testing themselves on women's singles, women's doubles, men's singles, men's doubles and mixed doubles, making teamwork and consistency essential throughout the competition. With more challenging matches scheduled over the coming days, the Badminton competition promises to be exciting and thrilling.

Men's and women's competitions also officially got underway for Tennis, with a total of 32 teams battling until the last point to win the European Universities Champion title. Today, Tennis players had the chance to showcase their talent on the courts in high-level matches that set high expectations for the next days of competition.

The Handball tournament opened with the first day of the preliminary round, launching three days of group stage. In the women's tournament, Pala Capriglia Sports Hall hosted five matches. Meanwhile, the men's competition began at Pala Palumbo Sports Hall, where four matches were played. With the preliminary phase now underway, teams are looking to secure valuable points, competing for places in the knockout rounds.

Football action at the European Universities Games 2026 continues at full speed, with every match carrying added importance as the tournament progresses. Teams are battling for valuable points and a place in the knockout stage, delivering fast-paced contests, determined performances and plenty of memorable moments on the pitch. With each round, the race for the medals becomes more intense, as universities from across Europe continue to showcase their talent, teamwork and competitive spirit.

From tomorrow on, two more sports will start in the EUG 2026 programme: Beach Volleyball and Rugby 7s. One day ahead of the starting whistle, General Technical Meetings were held for these two sports, bringing together representatives of the participating universities, EUSA officials and members of the Local Organising Committee to review competition regulations, technical procedures and key organisational information. The sessions concluded with the official draws and confirmation of the competition schedules, ensuring that all teams are fully prepared for the start of their tournaments.

The Beach Volleyball GTM was opened by EUSA Chair for the competition and EC Member, Hemma Angerer, who then left the floor to EUSA Technical Delegate, Anton Fichtinger, who explained technical details.

EUSA Chair for Rugby 7s competition and EC Member, Yngvild Larsen Schei, welcomed participants to the Rugby 7s GTM, while EUSA Technical Delegate Maria Gyolcsos went through all the details of this tournament. 

With three more sports now in full swing and additional competitions ready to begin, the European Universities Games 2026 continue to showcase the diversity of university sport in an atmosphere of friendship and fair play.

For more information and for the latest results on the sports matches, please see www.results.eusa.eu