The traditional social and sports event of the year at the Czech University of Life Sciences in Prague already has its winner this year. On Thursday, May 15, 2025, the Rectorate Team took over the trophy for the most successful team of the 22nd annual University Employee Sports Games. After a two-year break, it once again became the champion of the games, depriving its two-time winner, the Faculty of Engineering, of the coveted hat-trick.
This year, 900 actively participating employees participated in the Employee Sports Games in seven competitive and two recreational sports.
"According to the enthusiastic responses at the gala evening in Club C with the presentation of the cup for the overall winner of the games and the announcement of the individual sports, we can state that the event was once again an outstanding success. We are all happy about it," says the main organizer Dušan Vavrla, head of the Department of Physical Education, and adds: "The balance of the first three teams was incredible and the overall ranking was decided only by the last sport, in which the Rectorate team won the final of the football tournament after a 0:0 draw on penalties, thus achieving the decisive points. If the final had been won on penalties by the team from the Faculty of Environmental Sciences, the overall winner of the cup would have been the Faculty of Economics and Management."
Shortly after eight o'clock in the morning, the rector Petr Sklenička officially opened the games, and their founder and organizer, Dušan Vavrla, joined in with the wish of a pleasant day and an even more enjoyable evening celebrating sports achievements together. "When we organized the first year in 2002, of course, we did not know what would come of it. And now we have the 22nd year, and the number of game participants is growing yearly. Hopefully, the weather will improve. I prayed to St. Peter for that, but we are a resilient university, and I believe we will survive. So good luck with sports and have fun," Dušan Vavrla wished everyone at the beginning.
Around nine o'clock, the competitions started. In addition to the teams of the rectorate and individual faculties, the CZU Forests team also participated in the sports competition. We could watch and cheer on the matches in five-a-side football, volleyball, tennis, table tennis, swimming, and petanque. And those who were not chasing sports achievements and victories could go on a hiking or cycling trip with their colleagues and enjoy a relaxing day.
"Although everybody celebrates enthusiastically victories in individual sports, the greatest importance of this unique event lies in the relaxation and impeccable mood of all participants throughout the day," says Dušan Vavrla, their long-time organizer, evaluating the meaning of the CZU Employees' Sports Games.
Overall ranking of the 22nd CZU Employee Sports Games
- Rectorate 36 points
- Faculty of Economics and Management 34 points
- Faculty of Engineering 31 points
- Faculty of Agrisciences, Food and Natural Recourses 25 points
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences 23 points
- Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences 18 points
- Faculty of Tropical Agrisciences 9 points
- CZU Forests and Farm Estates 7 points
