Zagreb Welcomed 1500 Athletes from Across Europe
PHOTO: Jason Lam / EUSA Combat 2023
ZAGREB, July 19, 2023 - Two days before the beginning of the EUSA Combat 2023, athletes from all around Europe arrived at the athlete's village in Zagreb. Student-athletes, officials, and referees were accommodated in the largest student dormitory in the country, known as "Stjepan Radić" or simply "Sava".
PHOTO: Emanuel Pastuović / EUSA Combat 2023
Today, in preparation for tomorrow's opening ceremony at 20:30 h and the start of the competition, all participants went through the accreditation process and were assigned their rooms. Due to the large number of participants, head coaches waited for their accreditations while athletes socialized and entertained themselves outside.
PHOTO: Emanuel Pastuović / EUSA Combat 2023
While waiting for their accreditations, some athletes shared their experiences and expectations for the upcoming competition.
Ivet Perger from Hungary is already familiar with Zagreb and the tournaments held there: "I have been here several times for previous competitions, but I haven't had the chance to explore as much as I wanted to, so I hope I will have enough time this time. Everyone here wants a medal, but I have a strong desire to win, and I hope I will succeed. Right now, the most important thing for me is to pass the weigh-in so that I can eat and drink again, and after that, I will think about my plan and tactics for the competition," Perger said.
Radvanski Silar from Romania has been to Zagreb before and hopes for a good placement: "I came here to win a medal, that is very important to me. I have been to Zagreb several times and I really like the city, I plan to visit some places when I have free time," Silar emphasized.
PHOTO: Emanuel Pastuović / EUSA Combat 2023
Viktoria Docekalova from Slovakia is visiting Croatia for the first time and has high expectations: "I have participated in several European student competitions, but I have never been here. I expect it to be the same or better than previous tournaments, and I hope for a victory. I will definitely explore the city, but I'm not sure yet what and when," Docekalova said.
Oleksii Boldyriev from Ukraine couldn't hide his excitement about returning to Zagreb and participating in the tournament: "I have been to Zagreb several times, but only for competitions, and I am happy to be back because I love this country. My expectations are high, and I have a great ambition to win a medal," Boldyriev added.
The competition will start on the 21st and is expected to conclude on the 23rd in the afternoon.
Text: Bogoljub Živanović / EUSA Combat 2023 media team