Action from the Kings Africa tournament
Backcourts, back alleys, and maybe even a couple balks came to the African continent as the African University Sports Federation (FASU) hosted the first-ever badminton championship in Port-Louis Mauritius. The event ran over the weekend into Tuesday, the 19–22 October.
The competition came after a four-year agreement between FASU with the Badminton Confederation Africa (BCA) in 2018 as a way to promote, develop and strengthen university sports activities and projects in Africa. The event signing agreement took place last summer during the 9th FASU Games in Mekelle, Ethiopia.
The badminton governing body agreed to promote and contribute to the development of student badminton competitions through All Africa Universities Games and other FASU-endorsed badminton championships or competitions.
The four days event featuree thirteen universities from the countries of Nigeria, Uganda, Zambia, South Africa, Benin, Mauritius, and Reunion Island. The badminton confederation will provide technical assistance, badminton rules, competition data, as well as training for students.
Drawing strong numbers of university participants, badminton is one of the ideal games on campus that calls casual and competitive players alike among its ranks. Photo from the Taipei 2017 Summer Universiade badminton arena.
As part of its ambitions to improve participation in African university games, FASU organized and a training workshop for the National University Sports Federations (NUSF) of eastern African in the Ugandan capital city of Kampala.
Workshop discussions included addressing the gender gap in university sport, growing the African university system to its capacity, branding and the use of social media, with FISU Ambassador Henry Nsekuye running the latter seminar.
Another hot topic of discussion was how to organise efficient and successful events, as FISU’s African looks to organize more championships for the continent while also attending international events more than they previously have.
The FASU workshop hit upon a number of hot topics about university sport across the African continent, including growing the African university system, and how branding and the use of social media can help achieve this goal
The one day workshop was followed by the 1st Kings of Africa University Rugby Sevens games as varsity giants University of Johannesburg Rugby Boys, the United States International University Africa Rugby team, Maseno University of Kenya, amongst others locked horns at the Makarere University Uganda last weekend. The University of Johannesburg went from national university champs to earning the continental crown, extending the school’s impressive streak of student sport titles.
The top cross-country runners from 20 countries competed at the 21st WUC Cross-Country. There’s a certain something special that is unique to international university sports events. The 22nd event edition heads to Marrakech, Morocco as well!
The top endurance runners, meanwhile will head to the distance hotbed of Marrakech, Morocco for the African university cross country race on the 9th of November 2019 to round off this year’s championships.
FASU President Nomsa Mahlangu says these events are in line with the administration plan to give university student a near limitless opportunity for personal expressions and successes on the field of play.
