EUSA Insider:
Czech University Sports Association
Founded: 1910
Current Headquarters: Prague
Website: www.caus.cz Published 05 February 2021
Firstly, for those who do not know, please tell us a bit about your NUSA…
The Czech University Sports Association (CUSA) is a non-profit organisation which ensures sport activities at the university level in the Czech Republic. The Czech University Sports Association was founded in 1910, and it went through many developing changes during the years, but the main idea is still to connect education with sport activities. CUSA has currently over 25 thousand student members associated to 60 university sport clubs, that are CUSA members as well, with 25 member universities and 49 CUSA sport commissions. The main CUSA task is to make a good sport environment and do the sport activities available for all students in the Czech Republic by the organizing sport activities and events (The Czech University Games, national championships, university leagues, non-championship competitions) and educational seminars for teachers. CUSA is also responsible for sending national university teams on international FISU and EUSA competitions.
Can you describe some of the major events your NUSA has hosted in recent years, both national and international?
In the Czech Republic are usually organized the Czech University Games in around 23 sports with a participation around 1700 students and Czech University Championships in around 50 sports with a participation over 3000 students every year. The year 2020 was quite poor for all sport events due to the Covid-19 situation: even though we organised 38 National Championships for almost 2000 students, another 25 were cancelled. Unfortunately, the FISU 2020 Shooting Sport Championship which was to take place in September 2020 in Pilsen, had to be cancelled as well. The year 2019 was much more favourable for our NUSA. We organised the Czech University Games in Brno (22 summer sports), 44 National University Championships (8 winter and 36 summer sports) with over 3500 participants and a very successful European University Orienteering Championships in Olomouc, where the Czech Republic won 5 medals (4 gold, 1 silver).
What have been some of the highlights for your NUSA in recent years?
Czech students are very successful not only in the international university sports events organised by FISU and EUSA, but in the world championships, European championships and Olympic Games as well. Many of the medallists on the university level became future world sports stars, for instance Eva Samkova (Snowabording), Lukas Krpalek (Judo), Martina Sablikova (Speed Skating), Michal Krcmar and Eva Puskarcikova (Cross Country Skiing), Jan Kriz (Speed Climbing), Ondrej Synek, Lenka Antosova and Kristyna Fleissnerova (Rowing), Jiri Prskavec (Kayaking), Martin Fuksa (Canoeing), Barbora Sumova (Shooting Sport), Barbora Zavadova (Swimming), Tereza Kmochova and Daniel Paulus (Alpine Skiing), Lada Vondrova, Kristina Maki and Lukas Hodbod (Athletics), Cestmir Kozisek (Ski Jumping), Anezka Drahotova (Race Walking), Jan Kuf (Modern Pentathlon), and many others.
“CUSA plans to send a team of 280 participants to the European Universities Games in Belgrade 2021, the highest number of our participants in the history of the Games.”
How important are the EUSA events – both sporting and educational – for your NUSA?
EUSA events are great occasions to show students that connecting an educational process with regular sporting activity is possible. University sport is one of the instruments which is possible to use not only for the spread of a healthy lifestyle among young people, but also as a positive approach of future student leaders to sport in general.
The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted university sport across the world. How was your NUSA able to adapt to the situation, what activities have you still managed to organise and are there any positives you have noted from these difficult circumstances?
The Covid-19 pandemic situation in the Czech Republic still increases and unfortunately is not getting better. The government restrictions are very strict, and no amateur sport is allowed. Some of the championships were organised in the months when the situation got better. Unfortunately, most of the championships and other events in 2020 were cancelled.
Finally, what does the future of university sport in your country hold?
The CUSA prepare to run a new project of the university leagues in six sports – ice hockey, basketball, volleyball, football, futsal and floorball. Currently we have almost 200 university teams that will participate in the project. CUSA plans to send a team of 280 participants to the European Universities Games in Belgrade 2021, the highest number of our participants in the history of the Games.
EUSA wishes the Czech University Sports Association well for all their future endeavours, and looks forward to seeing their NUSA members and student-athletes at many of our events in future, especially at this summer's European Universities Games in Belgrade!