AUC Olympics Ends Today

The second AUC Olympics brought together the University community to compete in basketball, volleyball, football, table tennis, and track and field. The five teams that competed in the three-day tournament represent several sectors of the University community, including freshmen and undeclared students, the School of Humanities and Social Sciences, the School of Business, the School of Global Affairs and Public Policy, and the School of Sciences and Engineering. Students and faculty members who are not competing are encouraged to come to the games and cheer on their fellow AUCians.

In the first AUC Olympics, held last year, 138 students took part. This year, more than 450 students participated in the event sponsored and organized by the Parents Association, under the Office of Alumni and Trustee Affairs, and coordinated by the Office of Athletics.

The AUC Olympics commenced with a torch relay around the AUC New Cairo campus, with AUC student athletes taking part in this relay reminiscent of the real Olympic Games. The relay began at Gate 1 and ended at the Khalaf Ahmed Al Habtoor Football and Track Stadium, where the torch was passed on to President Lisa Anderson, who inaugurated the event.

The ultimate aim, explained Hoda Baligh, a board member of the Parents Association who proposed the concept of the AUC Olympics one year ago, is for the AUC Olympics to bring together the University community. “We want to encourage sports, strengthen the love of the University and create a sense of belonging to AUC,” Baligh said.

For those who are competing, a cup for each of the five sports will be awarded to the school with the highest points in that sport. The school that garners the highest overall points in all five sports will receive the AUC Olympics shield. Last year, the shield was awarded to the team made up of freshmen and undeclared students.

Baligh hopes that the AUC Olympics will be an annual event that will have a lasting effect on building community bonds at AUC, and encouraging sports and fitness. “We want to unite all the University members together, and to see the students happy and engaged in sports,” she said.

Photo caption: First AUC Olympics held at AUC last year