The European Universities Games in Salerno at the end of July marked the sporting highlight of the summer for Karlsruhe’s 3x3 basketball team. After qualifying for the tournament last year by winning the German University Championship—at that time with a largely different roster—the team now represented the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) and Germany in 3x3 basketball on the European stage.

After traveling via Naples, the team checked into the university campus in Salerno, where athletes from all over Europe were staying. On the first day, the schedule began with the General Technical Meeting and the group draw, before the competition began the following day.

The tournament got off to a promising start. In their first group match, they secured a commanding 18–9 victory over host Salerno. Subsequently, despite a strong start, the Karlsruhe team fell to the Spanish representative from Seville, 14–21. On the second day of the tournament, however, the team showed a marked improvement in performance. Against the previously undefeated league leaders from Ljubljana, the Karlsruhe team fought back impressively after falling behind early and celebrated a much-celebrated 19–17 victory. They also won the subsequent match against Zagreb 20–17, securing their spot in the round of 16 even before their final group stage match.

On the final day of the preliminary round, KIT lost to the Polish Naval Academy, which had also been undefeated up to that point. In the subsequent round of 16, they faced a physically very strong opponent in the University of Latvia. In an intensely contested match, an open back-and-forth battle ensued, with the Karlsruhe team holding their own until the very end. In the end, however, the team was defeated 17–21 and was thus eliminated from the tournament.

By reaching the round of 16, the team achieved the target it had set for itself. Particularly encouraging was the team’s development over the course of the tournament, as they adapted better from game to game to the high intensity and physicality of international competition. Since Vincent Hennen was only able to play on a limited basis after the first day of competition due to illness, the team had to play the decisive matches with virtually no substitution options. This makes the team’s performance all the more impressive; despite these personnel limitations, they successfully fought their way into the knockout stage and left the competition with their heads held high.

The team used the two remaining days in Salerno to explore the region. A ferry trip to Amalfi provided the opportunity to experience the impressive Amalfi Coast before attending the final matches and the closing ceremony that evening. On August 2, the delegation finally began its journey home to Germany.

In addition to the athletic experiences, the international atmosphere, the interactions with students from all over Europe, and the unique conditions—with high temperatures and high humidity—will be particularly memorable. Participating in the EUSA Games was a valuable experience for the Karlsruhe delegation—both athletically and personally.