EUSA secretary general Matjaž Pečovnik, left, and first vice-president Haris Pavletić, right, celebrated the European Universities Games' 10-year anniversary with cake and speeches ©EUSA

The European University Sports Association (EUSA) has celebrated the 10-year anniversary of the inaugural edition of its European Universities Games.

The multi-sport event was held for the first time in the Spanish city of Córdoba in July 2012, featuring 2,583 participants from 32 countries across 10 sports.

EUSA secretary general Matjaž Pečovnik and first vice-president Haris Pavletić marked the occasion by cutting a cake and delivering short speeches.

The EUSA said that the anniversary provided an opportunity to reflect on "the success, importance, value and greatness that these European Universities Games have".

Following Córdoba 2012, participation grew to 2,830 individuals from 34 countries in Rotterdam in 2014, before more than 5,000 featured at the Zagreb-Rijeka Games in 2016 from 40 countries, with the programme expanded to 22 sports.

The European Universities Games are set to return on Sunday (July 17) in the Polish city of Łódź ©Getty Images
The European Universities Games are set to return on Sunday (July 17) in the Polish city of Łódź ©Getty Images

Coimbra in Portugal staged the most recent edition in 2018, with 4,027 participants from 38 countries featuring across 13 sports.

Belgrade was unable to host the European University Games as hoped in 2020 or 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

However, the EUSA's flagship multi-sport event is due to return on Sunday (July 17), with Łódź in Poland due to stage competition until July 30.

More than 4,500 athletes are expected to compete in 20 sports.

The Hungarian cities of Debrecen and Miskolc are the Games' next scheduled host in 2024.