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Home News FISU holds strategic talks on developing university sport in Africa alongside the ongoing FASU Games

FISU holds strategic talks on developing university sport in Africa alongside the ongoing FASU Games

FISU 4 July 2018

MEKELLE, ETHIOPIA – During of the 9th All African University Games which run from the 2-6 July, 84 participants from competing Africa nations came together to discuss ways to best manage sport on the African continent on the Mekelle University campus.

  

Joining FISU for the one-day event was its African continental association, FASU, and multiple National University Sport Federations. Titled “Managing sport in changing Africa,” the event brought together university presidents, FASU President Michael Malumbete Ralethe and other senior leaders of the continental association with executive members of FISU, such as First Vice-President Leonz Eder.

 

Participants exchanged best practices in sport event management and governance, and to discuss ongoing collaborative projects and partnership programmes.

 

With more than 20 National University Sports Federations of Africa present at the FISU-FASU-NUSF Seminar in Mekelle this has been a great success; not only because of these impressive numbers, but also because of everyone’s very active participation,” Mr. Eder stated. “Participants were very interested to learn more about the FISU Global Strategy, the FISU programmes offered to member federations in 2018 and 2019 and the FISU Help Programme, which always plays a major role for African countries.”

 FISU First Vice-President Leonz Eder presenting during the FISU-FASU-African NUSF seminar at Mekelle University on the topic of managing sport on the changing African continent

Seminar attendees also had plenty of questions for Lilia Barieva, FISU Director of Education and Development, and Tarmo Jaakson, FISU Development and NUSF Relations Manager.

 

“The NUSF Representatives showed great interest in helping promoting the International Day of University Sports and to be active also in the FISU Ambassadors Programme,” Mr. Eder said before commenting on the media coverage that the event generated. ‘The local and national media interest was outstanding, as many TV stations reported from the seminar.” said.

 FASU Student Committee Member Henry Nsekuye spoke about representing Uganda at last month’s FISU Volunteer Leaders Academy, and the need of Africa to participate and itself host, more international sports events

The speaker line-up included the voice of students as FASU Student Committee Member Henry Nsekuye spoke about his experience representing Uganda at the FISU Volunteer Leaders Academy last month in Kazan, Russia. During the eight-day academy Mr. Nsekuye studied advanced sports management skills and federation management best practices alongside the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia. The young leader gave an inspired speech to encourage more African countries to send representatives in the future to the Academy – and to host more international university sport events in Africa in the coming years.

 With 84 attendess and more than 20 National University Sports Federations of Africa present at the seminar, FISU First Vice-President Leonz Eder called the event was “a great success”

“This event is very important for further development of National University Sports Federations in Africa,” FASU President Ralethe said during the meeting. “A seminar is a great platform to exchange our ideas and knowledge. It’s very important for us that FISU is also here to learn about our needs and to support us.”