Four students from Ignatius Ajuru University of Education will be among 100 athletes from Nigeria that will be participating at the 2023 Summer World University Games (FISU), also known as Universiade, in Chengdu, China, from 28 July - 8 August.
Over 10,000 participants from more than 170 countries will participate at the global sports event.
The university will compete for laurels in Taekwondo, long-jump, and swimming.
The acting Vice-Chancellor of the university, Professor Okey Onuchuku, announced this today.
The Vice-Chancellor, while commending the students for listing the university on the world sports event, noted that the competition would make the students and the university visible on the global sports arena, and applauded the sports committee for the feat.
Last year, the university came 7th out of 73 universities that took part in the 26th Nigeria University Games Association held at the University of Lagos.
It was the first time the institution participated in NUGA since it became a university in 2009.
The team recorded 18 medals: comprising 6 gold, 9 silver, and 3 bronze, and participated in swimming, volleyball, karate, badminton, football, discus, taekwondo, hurdles race, javelin, and metre races.
At a reception in honour of the university contingent early this year, Prof. Onuchuku assured that his administration would consolidate on the achievements the university recorded at the 26th Nigeria university games.
He said his administration would ensure that student-athletes who are interested in sports are given the platform to maximise their potentials while still pursuing their studies.
Prof. Onuchuku, who observed that sports had become a veritable means of livelihood all over the world, advised managers of the school team to identify and focus on areas where the institution has comparative advantage over other universities.
As a gold medalist in goalkeeping for the University of Port Harcourt at NUGA 1988, and the team manager of the UNIPORT football team at the 2004 edition of the game, the Vice-Chancellor’s support to sports at the institution did not come as a surprise.
Beyond NUGA, Professor Onuchuku played for Sharks, Ohakwu Continental, and other football clubs in Rivers State.
Meanwhile, the chairman of the university sports committee, Professor Sam Otamiri, disclosed that the institution secured a place in the global contest in China at the pre-games trials at the University of Benin, Nigeria.
Prof. Otamiri, while commending the VC for his commitment to the growth of sports at the institution, recalled that Prof. Onuchuku’s advice to the managers to focus on the areas it has comparative advantage over other universities resulted to the qualification for the games in China.
He promised that the contingent would make the university proud.
Story By Tunde Uchegbuo
