As activities marking the ongoing 11th Federation of Africa University Games (FASU) tagged, “Lagos Nigeria 2024,” continues at the University of Lagos (UNILAG), FASU President, Dr. Ashraf Sobhy, has urged participating athletes to compete fairly in the spirit of sportsmanship.
Speaking during the opening ceremony at the UNILAG Sports Complex, Sobhy praised the hosts for putting up good sporting facilities for the Games and urged other African universities to borrow a leaf from the school.
Also speaking at the ceremony, an excited UNILAG Vice-Chancellor, Prof Folashade T. Ogunsola, expressed delight and honour to host the 11th FASU Games.
She described FASU 2024 as a historic event as it is the first time that the Games has been co-hosted by two universities since its inception in 1974.
The vice chancellor also said that coming two years after UNILAG hosted the 26th Nigerian University Games (NUGA), where over 5,000 athletes and officials from 75 Nigerian universities participated, the school was in a good position to deliver a world-class event.
Meanwhile, the Secretary of the Organising Committee and UNILAG’s Director of Sports, Dr. Joseph Ola Awoyinfa, has said that hosting the competition has allowed the school to showcase its sporting capabilities to Africa and the world.
“Those who are familiar with sports know that UNILAG has that record of hosting big sporting events, having hosted the Nigeria University Games (NUGA) more than once and still counting while several organisations and schools continue to make use of our facilities for their Games,” Dr. Awoyinfa stated.
In one of the events decided on Wednesday, Mustapha Kemi from the University of Ilorin, won the gold medal in the women’s discus event when she threw 39.40m, the silver medal went to Belinda Owusu from the University of Cape Coast, with a throw of 37.08, while Rukaua Sumaila of University of Ghana claimed the bronze medal with a throw of 33. 55m.
The tennis and karate events started yesterday and will continue today, just as swimming will also be held at the UNILAG Sports Complex.