On May 5 in Ljubljana, Slovenia, home of EUSA headquarters, a formal signing ceremony marked a milestone in European university sport: the official attribution of the first-ever European Universities Winter Games, which will be hosted in Erzurum, Turkiye, between January and February 2028.

The agreement was signed by senior representatives from both organisations. Representing the European University Sports Association (EUSA) were President Haris Pavletic and Secretary General Matjaz Pecovnik.

The Turkish delegation was led by Mutlu Turkmen, President of the Turkish University Sports Federation and Rector of Bayburt University, Ahmet Hacimuftuoglu, Rector of Ataturk University, and Bulent Cakmak, Rector of Erzurum Technical University.

The event formalised Erzurum’s role as host city, setting the stage for the inaugural EUSA Winter Games during the winter of 2028.
The initiative represents a significant expansion of EUSA’s events portfolio, introducing more winter sports to its established program of university competitions across Europe.

Erzurum, known for its winter sports infrastructure and prior experience hosting international events, is expected to provide a strong foundation for the successful launch of this new competition.
The collaboration underscores growing ties between European university sport institutions and Turkiye’s academic and sporting sectors.