AUC Athletes Receive Top Medals in National Universities Tournament
Competing across 12 individual and nine group sports games, AUC teams have won seven gold, two silver and four bronze medals in the first half of the 41st National Universities Tournament, which kicked off in early April. The remaining half of the tournament will continue later this month.
Some of the athletes who ranked first in their respective categories were Nour El Tayeb (squash), Dina Meshref (table tennis), Nourhan Mostafa (singles and doubles tennis), Farah Baracat (doubles tennis), Aya Mahdy (fencing) and Mostafa Amr (shot-put). Mahdy, who is a professional fencer on the national level, also took home an additional silver medal, whereas Amr earned second place for discus, and Baracat won a silver medal for singles tennis. Third, or bronze, rankings were won by Ahmed Amr for shot-put and Youssef Galal for singles tennis.
The AUC rowing team, which was renewed last semester following a nearly five-year hiatus, also received a bronze medal in the rowing competition.
Hossein Shash, one of the rowing team members who participated in the tournament, said, "When we got third place, we were quite happy because we finally finished the season and accomplished so much in such little time. It was overwhelming. When we were all carrying the boat out of the water, we realized that this win was because of more than just one person; it was because of the entire team."
The National Universities Tournament was established in 1974 and takes place on an annual basis. AUC participates every year, competing against more than 30 other private and public Egyptian universities. At the 39th National Universities Tournament, held in 2012, AUC's sports teams won third place overall, and the women's team ranked second among women's teams from other universities. In 2010, AUC’s male and female tennis players won first place, a ranking that they have been able to maintain for more than a decade. In 2011, AUC teams ranked first in men’s handball, women’s basketball and women’s swimming.
“This [The National Universities Tournament] is one of the main competitions of the year, and our players usually achieve great results,” said Mohamed Taher, director of the athletics office. "This not only reflects positively on the University; it also has a good effect on the athletes themselves, motivating them to perform even better."
In addition to the National Universities Sports Tournament, AUC teams regularly take part in annual national and regional tournaments, including the Fifth Sector Tournament, organized by the Egyptian Universities Sports Federation, and the International University Sports Tournament, which involves competitions between teams from a number of American universities around the world.
Photo caption: The AUC rowing team placed third overall in the National Universities Tournament
