Croatian students bring home 13 medals from the Salerno Games, while Split gears up for its biggest sporting event since the Mediterranean Games.
Croatian student athletes achieved a historic success at the European University Games (EUG) in Salerno, Italy, winning a total of 13 medals. At the same time, Split ceremonially took over the Games' flag and was confirmed as the host of the next edition in 2028, marking the biggest sporting spectacle in Dalmatia since the 1979 Mediterranean Games.
At the closing ceremony in Salerno on August 6, 2026, the Split delegation was led by Mayor Tomislav Šuta, newly elected Rector of the University of Split Nikola Koceić-Bilan, and President of the EUG 2028 Coordinating Committee Toni Gamulin. Their message was clear: Split will be ready to welcome thousands of student athletes from across Europe from July 15 to 30, 2028.
Haris Pavletić, the first Croatian to head the European University Sports Association, told RTL that the Games bring much more than a sporting event. "With the arrival of thousands of student athletes from all over Europe, the Games will leave a strong and lasting infrastructural legacy - a new student dormitory with 800 beds, the first university sports center in Croatia, and renovated and newly built sports infrastructure," Pavletić stated. He also emphasized that the Games will contribute to the advancement of academic sports, raising student standards and the quality of life for the local community, confirming Split and Croatia as excellent hosts for major international events.
The Croatian delegation was the largest at the Salerno Games, with more than 400 athletes competing in 12 sports. Of the total 13 medals (four gold, three silver, and six bronze), 11 were won by the University of Zagreb, further cementing its status as the best European university in student sports. For comparison, the runner-up, the Zamojski Academy from Poland, trailed Zagreb by five medals.
Zagreb's brightest honors came in women's table tennis, where two golds were won, along with a gold in women's futsal. Zagreb students secured silver medals in women's football, men's basketball, and women's beach handball. Bronze medals went to the men's teams in futsal, handball, and beach handball, along with two more bronzes in women's table tennis.
The remaining two Croatian medals went to the trophy cabinets of the country's second-largest university. The futsal team of the University of Split won a historic gold, while Split footballers took bronze. In addition to the medals, Croatian students also brought home numerous individual awards, representing their higher education institutions and Croatian student sports in the best possible way.
