DAKAR – The pressure points of university sport in Senegal were diagnosed last Wednesday by the country’s Ministries of Sports and Higher Education & Research. In this regard, the two departments have taken stock of the administrative, technical, financial, human resources and infrastructure aspects with the aim to revive university sport and to establish a joint committee responsible for implementing decisions, as well as monitoring the work of the country’s National University Sports Federation.
In a joint statement, the ministries highlighted the shortcomings that prevent university sport to grow in Senegal, i.e. the inadequacy of the legal framework, the near-absence of supervisory staff, the organisation of inter-school sports competitions in a limited geographic area, inadequate sports facilities and insufficient financial ressources.
With a university population of about 120,000 students distributed among the country’s 5 universities and 140 private higher education institutions, and 3,000 student athletes, UASSU somehow manages to hold regularly its national university championships in 12 sports.
Therefore, both ministries decided to form a partnership to enhance university sport. A joint statement, signed at the end of the meeting between Sports Minister Mbagnick Ndiaye and Minister for Higher Education & Research Mary Tew Niane, commits the two departments to launch, as soon as possible, sports and university competitions. Further to this agreement, other actions will have to be undertaken: provide administrative executives of university sport with training sessions and skill development solutions; set up teams of high-level technicians in higher education institutions to ensure adequate supervision of sport; complete the reform process under way for university sport no later than 31 July; and allocate the necessary material, financial and human resources to ensure the proper functioning of university sport.
The two departments will also have to encourage the adoption of an ‘elite student-athlete’ status and implement, as part of the revival of university sport, a policy of construction of sports facilities in higher education institutions throughout the country.
(Source: UASSU)