The Hungarian University-College National Championship or MEFOB Festival, will be held in Győr, Hungary, with more than a thousand participants in thirteen sports. The ambassadors of the event, students from the host Széchenyi István University - Dalma Sebestyén, Olympic swimmer, Bence Szabó, world and European silver medallist rower and Zalán Lang, captain of the Győr men's handball team - are raising awareness of the importance of physical activity and urging everyone to come to Győr to the biggest Hungarian university and college sports event.

From 30 April to 3 May, the Széchenyi István University of Győr will host the MEFOB Fest. The joint event between the institution and the Hungarian University-College Sports Association will feature competitions in handball, futsal, volleyball, table tennis, ergometer, rowing, dragon boat, ultimate frisbee, chess, water polo, arm wrestling, e-sport and cheerleading. The biggest national event of the university-college sports scene is a festival with recreational sports activities during the day and parties in the evening.

Zalán Lang, the captain of the Győr men's handball team, Bence Szabó, European rowing champion and Dalma Sebestyén, Olympic swimmer - all of them are students of Széchenyi István University and ambassadors of the MEFOB FEST. (Photo: Adorján András)

"This is an unusual year, as we started the season with a world championship in February. I got a big boost to continue by swimming my first adult World Championships final, where I finished seventh. There's also a European Championships before the Olympics, which means I'll be competing in all the major world championships in 2024. My goal is to improve my individual records and to get an Olympic quota in other events besides the 200m medley" - said Dalma Sebestyén, a student of Széchenyi István University and a competitor of Uni-Győr Swimming SE, about her plans for this year. Dalma was happy to take on the ambassadorial duties for MEFOB Fest. "I think it is important that any initiative that promotes sport should be given special attention. The importance of physical activity and a healthy lifestyle cannot be stressed enough. The University Championships are also very dear to me because it is an event where amateur and professional competitors represent the sport together," said the athlete, who has successfully competed in the MEFOB swimming championships on several occasions. "Besides swimming, learning is very important to me, so I can say that Győr - as a Székesfehérvár resident - is a second home for me, where I can play my sport at a high level while gaining valuable knowledge at the university," said the swimming star.

"It is difficult to single out any of my achievements, as I am proud of all of them. If you look at my last year, of course, the bronze medal at the World University Games and the silver medal at the World Adult Championships are my favourite, and defending my European title from 2022." - Bence Szabó, rower of the Győr Athletics Club, looked back. As he said, he is confident that this year will be special for him as well, as the continental championships will be held in Szeged at the end of April, where he will have the chance to defend his European title again. „The magic of the MEFOB Fest is that young people from universities all over the country can get to know each other, meet representatives of several sports, watch their peers compete and cheer for each other. What makes it even more special is that athletes at lower levels can compete against Olympians, world and European champions," he said. The athlete also has personal experience and successes in the MEFOB ergometer event. He noted that for those who do not choose to take part in elite sports, it is also extremely important to do sport regularly, and this is what this event is promoting. „At Széchenyi University, everything is available for sports, since in addition to its cooperation with numerous sports clubs, the Győr campus also offers an excellent sports infrastructure for students. As a native of Győr, it was a natural choice for me to choose this university, as it is where my family and sport come from. Moreover, the institution contributes significantly to my ability to combine my studies with my sporting life," said Bence Szabó.

Sport is our common cause, say the ambassadors of MEFOB Fest in Győr (Photo: András Adorján)

Zalán Lang, handball player of ETO-UNI FKC Győr, arrived in Győr two years ago. "Back then, the adult team was still fighting to stay in the second division, which they managed to do. At the same time, I was also a member of the youth first division team, with which we won the youth championship. Last season, with the adult team we started with the aim of being a strong mid-table team, but we exceeded our expectations and finished third, beating the eventual champions at home. This year, the goal is to reach the top and everything is in place at the club, we just need to focus on the game," said the captain of the first division B groupNB, who scored over 100 goals last season and this season.

He added that the close relationship between the club and the university has a lot of potential. "Before I decided which university to go to, I asked a lot of people for their opinions. Győr proved to be the best choice, where sport and learning are equally important. Here I will get all the help I need to succeed in both areas," said the young man from Szentgotthárd. He stressed that he was proud to be an ambassador of the MEFOB FEST, as the Széchenyi University has many excellent athletes who would also be worthy of this role. "Last year, we were the defending champions in the MEFOB Handball Final in Győr, where we came second. This year, the goal is to win the trophy again," said Zalán Lang about his plans. 

The three sport ambassadors of MEFOB Fest encourage everyone to come to Győr between 30 April and 3 May for an unforgettable event where amateur and professional university athletes compete together and represent the common cause of sport.

Further information: mefobfeszt.hu.