CAIRO: The American University in Cairo (AUC) won first place in the first International University Sport Tournament held at the American University of Beirut (AUB). Through the four-day tournament, teams from 11 American universities around the world competed in basketball, volleyball, soccer, swimming and tennis. Second place went to host university AUB, while the Jordanian University of Science and Technology (JUST) ranked third. Seventy student athletes and six coaches represented AUC, which participated in all of the tournament events. Chuck Gordon, AUC’s director of athletics, believes that the university’s winning performance reflects the caliber of training and facilities offered to AUC’s student athletes. “Our students and coaches worked very hard in practice and competitions leading up to these games. Their efforts were outstanding,†he said in a statement from the university. AUC dominated all individual sports in the tournament. It won 37 medals including 23 gold, eight silver and six bronze medals. Swimming and tennis were the university’s leading sports in top medal finishes. AUC teams also did well in other sports such as women’s volleyball, which won first place scoring 3-0 shutouts in all matches. Other teams also had high scores, including the women’s basketball team which came in third place after a loss in the semi-final against AUB. AUC men’s football and basketball teams ranked the fourth among eight participating teams. “This is a difficult tournament, with very strong teams from other schoolsâ€, Gordon said in reference to the competitive spirit the players have possessed during the tournament. Although the swimming competition was very challenging, the swimming team did an exceptional job by winning 20 gold medals, seven silver and four bronze medals.†Gordon added that such competitions complement academic activities by enriching intellectual and personal development. “It’s the best way for the students to gain important values such as discipline, confidence and devotion. We hope to establish a formal association of universities to compete in similar events on an annual basis,†he said. AUC will also be competing in the 37th Universities National Tournament with 37 other Egyptian universities. AUC will host many of the competitions at its new sports facilities at AUC New Cairo. The AUC Sports Complex includes an indoor area that includes a 2,000-seat main court; a martial-arts arena, which seats up to 300; squash courts; exercise and fitness rooms; a free-weight studio; saunas and steam rooms. The outdoor space includes a track-and-field and soccer stadium, the largest outdoor facility on campus, seating 2,000. This is in addition to an Olympic-size swimming pool; a soccer practice field; tennis, basketball, handball and volleyball courts; and a jogging and cycling track. BM
