September 23, (THEWILL) – The 11th Federation of African University Sports (FASU) Games began in Lagos, Nigeria on Saturday.
Over 1,500 athletes from 43 African countries are participating in the event, which is jointly hosted by the University of Lagos (UNILAG) and Lagos State University (LASU). This marks the first time two universities have co-hosted the FASU Games.
Egyptian Minister of Youth and Sport and FASU President, Ashraf Sobhy, officially opened the games at the UNILAG Sports Complex.
The competition, running until September 29, features 17 different sports, including athletics, basketball, football, and swimming. This is Nigeria’s first time hosting the event since 2004 when the third FASU Games were held at Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University in Bauchi.
UNILAG Vice Chancellor, Folashade Ogunsola, emphasised the importance of collaboration and encouraged participants to compete with friendship and love.
Nigerian University Games Association (NUGA) President, Mohammed Bawa, urged athletes to exhibit good sportsmanship and view the event as an opportunity to test potential career pathways in sports.
The opening ceremony was preceded by the second FASU vice-chancellors’ seminar, where university leaders from across Africa discussed the development of university sports.
Decius Chipande, Head of African Union Sports Council, delivered a keynote presentation on “Empowering University Sports: the Africa We Want”, advocating for a comprehensive policy plan for African university sports.
FASU President Sobhy highlighted the games’ role in fostering interactions among universities across the continent. He called for stronger collaborations among vice-chancellors beyond academics to build a more unified Africa through university sports.
The event continues to serve as a platform for African university students to compete and connect.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
