NAIROBI – The Opening Ceremony of the 7th African University Games was held on 11 July in Nairobi, Kenya. The event took place on the campus of the University of Nairobi.
The ceremony started with the greeting of the authorities and guests. The march pass of the 19 attending delegations followed the Police band which created a cheerful atmosphere. Then, a cultural show was presented to the participants, who enjoyed a song from the choir of the University of Nairobi, followed by traditional dances with drumbeats. The show went on with acrobats, a stand-up comedy show and ended with a rap performance by a Kenyan rapper. All the artists were students from the University of Nairobi.
After entertainment, officials were given the opportunity to make their speeches. Mr Mbaabu Murithi, KUSA president, thanked delegations for their presence and the academic authorities of the University of Nairobi for organising the Games.
OC & VIP guests
The president of the Organising Committee, Prof. Isaac Mbeche, then highlighted the importance of university sport and its role in strengthening peace in Africa. It is important that future generations can gather around a common ideal, defined by the Games’ moto: “Peace and solidarity in Africa through varsity sports”. The FASU president then thanked the hosts for their warm greetings. He reminded the audience of the achievements of FASU over the last years and insisted on the good relations with FISU.
Oleg Matytsin, 1st Vice-President of FISU, highlighted the universal dimension of FISU and the importance of being present at this kind of events. He also expressed wishes of success on behalf of FISU President Claude-Louis Gallien. He reminded the audience of the support provided by FISU to the development of university sport in Africa in the long term. Finally, the 7th African University Games were declared open by Dr Belio Kipsang.
(Source: Laurent BRIEL, FISU Director Development and NUSF relations)