EUGenio will be the mascot for the Lodz 2022 European Universities Games ©EUSA

The mascot of the Lodz 2022 European Universities Games has been unveiled.

EUGenio is a unicorn and was selected through social media and residents of the Polish city.

Unicorns are one of the main symbols of the European Universities Games 2022 host city.

The Piotrkowska Centrum tram station is affectionately known as "The Unicorn Stable" and nearby there is a 2.5-metre-long statue of the mythical creature designed by Japanese sculptor Tomohiro Inaba.

EUGenio was introduced to the city on International Day of University Sports as he travelled through the streets to promote the Games and encourage people to take up a healthy lifestyle.

Piotrkowska Centrum tram station is known as
Piotrkowska Centrum tram station is known as "The Unicorn Stable" ©Getty Images

Lodz 2022 is scheduled to take place from July 17 to 30.

Approximately 5,000 student-athletes from 40 countries are set to compete in 17 sports disciplines.

It is the next edition of the Games on the calendar, after the 2020 event in Belgrade was first postponed to 2021 and then cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The EUSA is looking into the possibility of Serbian capital Belgrade hosting the Games in 2023, before Debrecen and Miskolc in Hungary stage the 2024 competition.

From there, the European Universities Games should return to a biennial format.

In April, the EUSA stated 12 countries were interested in hosting the 2026 Games.