“We are working on widening the scope of the single-sport championships to cover more events and widen the reach on the continent.”
FASU Secretary General & FISU Vice President Penninah Kabenge with host University Student leader and Host Vice Chancellor of Kenyatta University
In uncertain times and in unprecedented situations, the onus falls on authorities across all sectors of society to remain resilient, pave the path forward and lead the way. And that is exactly what FASU, the Federation of Africa University Sports, has managed to do amid a troubled and topsy-turvy 2020.
FASU, like sports federations the world over, was not spared the wrath of COVID-19, which resulted in a continent-wide upheaval of plans as the pandemic tightened its grip. Beginning with the cancellation of the FISU World University Cross Country Championships in Marrakech, Morocco in March – what would have been Africa’s only WUC event for the year – the milestone tenth anniversary of the 2020 FASU Games, which was set to feature 18 different sports at Kenya’s Kenyatta University, was also postponed, putting a major dampener on what should have been an exciting year on the African university sports calendar.
“The disruption caused by COVID19 to FASU activities has been uneven, unequal, and frankly at times, unjust,” says FASU Secretary General, Ms Peninnah Kabenge Aligawesa. “Major events like the FASU Games 2020 and conferences, among others, were postponed.
“The secretariat offices were closed with staff working from home for a period running March to September 2020, while physical meetings were replaced by virtual meetings.”
The Continental University Sports Federation, which is made up of 43 FISU National University Sports Federations, was then forced to take its activities onto a virtual space as operations continued, with staff encouraging online engagement for both student-athletes and officials.
“All activities went on, save for such that required physical engagement,” Kabenge notes. “FASU conducted webinars and has had massive social media engagements, especially in the IDUS month. Creative options were instituted to engage not only the students but the administrators and all involved.”
This, however, came with its own challenges.
“While many have adapted to new ways of staying healthy and active, access to stable internet has been presented as one of the main challenges to retrieval and attendance of the many online live and recorded programmes that have been availed to them,” she says.
Despite this, celebrations of the International Day of University Sport continued unabated across Africa, albeit in new and creative ways. Wide-ranging activities included dance challenges, TV shows, webinars and aerobics sessions, while the Africa Social Medica Challenge, where participants shared their best university sports moments on their social media accounts, proved immensely popular, gaining traction among almost 200 users in 21 different countries.
“FASU opted to celebrate IDUS month with social media challenges, a webinar, and a celebration of specific persons who have contributed to the development of continental sports,” Kabenge says of their altered IDUS celebrations. “The #IDUS2020, #LetsIDUS and #WeAreAfrica hashtags were used, with FASU, through its NUSFs, encouraging online engagements for athletes at various levels.”
FASU social media challengeWith COVID-19 restrictions somewhat easing off on the continent, FASU Treasurer Mr Abbay Kidane was able to conduct a fruitful working visit to the secretariat in Kampala, Uganda in October, where positive discussions over the organisation’s finances took place.
“I had quite a busy but gainful time here at the secretariat which gives me a better appreciation of grand tasks we have ahead of us as an organisation,” Kidane said after his visit.
Despite admitting that the fulfilment of various activities in the latter months of 2020 may be challenging, FASU have organised two separate events for the remainder of the year, while also looking ahead to next year as they aim to expand their activities even further.
“An online All Africa University Mind Sports Championship is planned for November 2020,” Kabenge reveals. “We are also organising a FISU-FASU NUSF Seminar in December that will focus on the post COVID-19 era and the new norm, which will be attended by national federations and leaders at universities.
“FASU championships take place every odd year, with the current programme including 3×3 Basketball, Cross Country, Badminton, Rugby 7s, Soccer, and Tennis. We are working on widening the scope of the single-sport championships to cover more events and widen the reach on the continent.”
While 2020 has been an especially challenging year for all, Kabenge hopes the continent’s students have gained some positives from the circumstances which she hopes will put them in good stead in various facets of their lives.
“University students are in the final transitional stage of life,” she says. “They are therefore expected to be the drivers of change. With the pandemic, the new norm is unavoidable and therefore we encourage student-athletes to lead the change.
“It is also hoped that they have gained resilience that will not only improve their sporting culture, but in all aspects.”
