Aim For Excellence

The national finals of the 2026 University Games have come and gone, and stakeholders are taking stock of the successes and shortcomings. Special attention is focused on the event given that it is the first edition organised under the new format. Ebolowa carried the first litmus test on its shoulders and did its best to lay a solid foundation for a project that aims not only to boost competitiveness, but also to improve organi­ sation. The path towards Ebolowa was challenging, but the National Federation of University Sports (FENASU) demonstrated its capacity to implement its modernisation policy. Organising the Games in two phases; the principal feature of the new format; largely achieved its objective of making the competition more manageable. The first phase, dubbed CHAZU, divided universities into four zones with one host each; the best then progressed to the national finals (FINAJU) hosted by Ebolowa. This approach clearly reduced the number of athletes at the final venue, making logistics such as feeding and transportation easier to handle, despite hiccups in lodging. If the objective of better organisation was broadly met, the next challenge is follow-up; a weakness that has consistently plagued previous editions under the old format. With only the cream of athletes present in Ebolowa and the best among them winning preciou...