The successful hosting of the 13th edition of the West African Universities Games, affords the University of Ilorin, an opportunity to showcase its organisational dexterity

Friday, April 6, was the climax of the sizzling sporting fiesta attended by 1,443  athletes and 305 officials, representing 52 universities from the West African sub- region at the University of Ilorin. It was the 13th edition of the West African Universities Games, WAUG. On the accreditation list were 42 Nigerian universities, including two privately-owned and 10 universities from neighbouring West Africa states.

All week long, the university sport arena, its GRA Staff Quarters, hockey pitch and the Kwara State Stadium glittered with spectacular performances as athletes continuously upped their quests for medals, especially gold. More than the competition, the friendly spirit that pervaded the centres gave credence to the cardinal objectives of WAUG which are promoting unity among West African university students and enhancing the development of sport in the sub-region.

From the beginning, it was glaring that the highly motivated Team University of Port Harcourt, Uniport, a contingent of 60 athletes led by Fidelis Awusa, with their sheer skill and determination, was more than ready to overwhelm all other teams.

And it, indeed, emerged tops in the games with 48 gold, 26 silver and 19 bronze medals. But perhaps, the most outstanding performance came from Gagbe Okokoibifiezbe, a 300 level Human Kinetics student, who single-handedly accounted for nine of the gold medals, all hurled from the female swimming events.

University of Benin came second with nine gold, five silver and nine bronze medals. Benson Idahosa University , one of the two private universities at the games, emerged third with eight gold, seven silver and four bronze medals. It was trailed by the University of Lagos, with six gold, 12 silver and six bronze medals.

The host university was tenth on the medal table with three gold, five silver and 17 bronze medals. However, this did not diminish its status as it bounced into prominence in football. Locking horns with the Moddibo Adama University of Technology (formerly University of Technology), Yola, at the finals, the university put up a gallant fight but bowed to the superior fire-power of MAUTECH boys, who won by a lone goal.

Beyond the games, WAUG was a sporting fiesta that saw the University of Ilorin ascending from its pariah status to the top of the hill. There is no doubt that it had cleared any doubt of its high level performance with its perfect and inspiring organisation of the competition.

For a university that has, for more than a decade, swam against the tide, at least in the reckoning of the academic staff union, the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, which  has constantly pooh-poohed its lead in the world-wide rankings among the nation’s universities and its incredible growth rate, all negative impressions flew in the face of the sheer delight and picturesque environment that befell the participants’ sights.

Loraine Naguib, a Canadian studying international relations at University of Ghana, Legon, said she was immensely impressed. "The organisation is perfect. The food and the people are fantastic," she said.

Perhaps, the most appealing aspects of the sport fiesta were the fraternal messages from sister academic communities across the region. Muhammad Hamisu Muhammad, vice chancellor, Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, said of the host: "Beyond providing the courts, fields and boards for the competition, your University has given the continent of Africa a platform to engineer friendship and brotherhood among its youth. We doff our hats to Unilorin for rebranding Nigerian Universities and, indeed, Nigeria in a special way." 

There is good reason for the excitement that greeted the hosting rights won by the university in March 2008. It gave the university a life time opportunity to emphatically prove its reckoning. More so, it was a crowning glory to the highly successful tenure of Is’haq Olanrewaju Oloyede, the vice chancellor whose tenure ends in a couple of months.

While receiving the hosting rights of WAUG at the University of Ghana on March 29, 2008, Oloyede had remarked: "Sport is a silent but effective means of promoting national integration and international co-operation and the University of Ilorin would leave no stone unturned in making the 13th edition the best and most memorable in the history of WAUG."

He said the university invested about N500 million, with the support of the government and well-meaning Nigerians, in the development of world-class sport infrastructures and facilities. In her goodwill message, Ruqayyatu Rufa’i, minister of education, applauded the university for successfully hosting the games.