The World Interuniversities Championships (WIUC) were held in Bratislava for the first time, and our students did not leave empty-handed. They brought home six medals: one gold, two silver and three bronze.
From 4 to 7 November 2026, Bratislava was the centre of university sport. The 11th WIUC brought together 5,000 participants from 96 universities and 30 countries across four continents. They competed in 15 sports.
Compared with many other universities, the Bratislava University of Economics and Business sent a small team of 52 students and 4 teachers. Even so, it held its own against strong international competition and achieved results the whole university can be proud of.
Gold from the Pool
The most valuable medal came from the pool, where first-year student Martin Kubica won the 50 m butterfly. Swimming brought four medals in total, more than half of our six.
- 1st place, gold: Martin Kubica (Faculty of National Economy, 1st year), 50 m butterfly
- 2nd place, silver: Natália Strašíková (Faculty of Business Management, 1st year), 200 m individual medley
- 3rd place, two bronzes: Veronika Behálová (Faculty of Commerce, 2nd year), 200 m individual medley and 200 m freestyle
The individual sports (tennis, padel, badminton and swimming) were led by PaedDr. Viktor Škultéty.
Footballers Reach the Final
With 32 teams, the football tournament was one of the largest competitions of the championships. Our team, coached by PaedDr. Roman Heriban, went through the group stage unbeaten. In the knockout rounds it beat teams from Madrid, Lebanon and Louvain on the way to the final. There it lost to the University of West Bohemia in Plzeň and finished in an excellent 2nd place.
| Stage | Match | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Group | EUBA – IESEG Lille | 0 : 0 |
| Group | EUBA – Uni Stockholm | 2 : 1 |
| Group | EUBA – Uni St. Gallen | 4 : 0 |
| Round of 16 | EUBA – Uni Comillas | 3 : 2 |
| Quarterfinal | EUBA – Uni Lebanese | 2 : 0 |
| Semifinal | EUBA – Uni de Louvain | 2 : 0 |
| Final | EUBA – Uni Plzeň | 0 : 2 |
Košice Futsal Players with Nerves of Steel
The futsal tournament drew 40 teams. The team from the Faculty of Business Economics in Košice, coached by Prof. Martin Bosák, made a strong start. In three group matches it scored 18 goals and conceded only one. Its quarterfinal against Milan went to a penalty shoot-out, and so did the bronze-medal match against Beirut. Both times our players kept their nerve and earned a well-deserved 3rd place.
| Stage | Match | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Group | PHF EUBA – IESEG Paris | 6 : 1 |
| Group | PHF EUBA – Uni Belgrade | 6 : 0 |
| Group | PHF EUBA – Uni Lebanon | 6 : 0 |
| Round of 16 | PHF EUBA – Uni Roma | 4 : 1 |
| Quarterfinal | PHF EUBA – Uni Milan | 1 : 1 (pens 3 : 2) |
| Semifinal | PHF EUBA – Uni Pécs | 0 : 1 |
| 3rd place match | PHF EUBA – Uni Beirut | 1 : 1 (pens 4 : 3) |
Our second futsal team, made up of players from the University of Economics in Bratislava, was coached by PaedDr. Ján Janík.
Bratislava Among the Best Hosts
All our students gave their very best. Often only a little luck stood between them and another medal. The championships were a success in their own right too. Participants enjoyed their stay in Bratislava, and in the closing evaluation the organiser said Bratislava ranks among the best cities ever to host the WIUC.
The 12th WIUC will take place in 2027 in New Cairo, Egypt, at the American University in Cairo.
We thank our athletes for representing the university so well.
