The European Universities Games (EUG) in Hungary in July and the rolling calendar of World University Championships (WUC) will give many students an early taste of international competition, while the German University Sports Federation (adh) is launching an exciting programme of national competitions as the summer semester gets underway.
The headliners are the German University Championships (DHM) being organised by the adh member universities, plus a total of nine adh Opens and one adh Trophy.
©Sören Dannhauer
Athletics DHM on 9 May
The extensive national programme is expected to involve about 10,000 sports-mad students over the next few months alone.
The season kicks off with the DHM Women's Futsal on 20 and 21 April at the University of Münster. Other highlights include the DHM Athletics on 9 May in Duisburg (Niederrhein University of Applied Sciences & Rhein-Waal University of Applied Sciences) and the DHM Rowing, which will be hosted by the University of Applied Sciences for Sports & Management Potsdam in Werder (Havel) from 12 to 14 July.
With one eye on the Rhine-Ruhr 2025 FISU Games, multi-sport events are also playing an increasingly important role. Examples include the German University Championships in Roundnet and Table Tennis (24-26 May) in Hamburg, and the organisation of several adh-Open events with a broad sporting focus at the University of Konstanz (29/30 June).
An additional digital event is the adh Digital University Run on International Day of University Sport (20 September).
Svea Thamsen, Student Member of the Board for Competitive Sports, describes the special nature of the adh competitions: "The participation of top and popular sports students creates a unique student atmosphere that not only promotes exchange, but also many unforgettable moments. These remain positive memories for everyone, regardless of their sporting performance."
International competition: European University Games and World University Championships
In the international arena, the focus is on the European Universities Games (EUG), which will be held in Debrecen and Miskolc, Hungary, from 12 to 24 July. More than 4,500 students from all over Europe will compete in 17 different sports.
Over 60 German universities will be represented by around 400 athletes in 13 sports: badminton, basketball, 3x3 basketball, beach handball, beach volleyball, futsal, handball, judo, karate, taekwondo, tennis, table tennis and volleyball.
The event - organised by the European University Sports Association (EUSA) - is a great opportunity for universities to raise their profiles on the international stage since the athletes will all represent their places of study. At the FISU World University Games, by contrast, the student-athletes will pull on the national kits of their countries.
The International University Sports Federation (FISU) is also organising numerous World University Championships (WUC) after the 2024 summer semester. German teams will be represented in 16 out of 22 sports.
"With a view to the Rhine-Ruhr 2025 FISU World University Games, the WUC beach volleyball and rowing in the summer are particularly exciting as these sports are also on the programme next year," says adh Secretary General Benjamin Schenk. “With strong German teams, we want to use these events as a dress rehearsal for the FISU Games 2025 in our own country.”