Nkumba University Vice Chancellor, Prof. Jude Lubega has this evening officially opened the Entebbe 2024 FISU World University Championship Mind Sports at Imperial Botanical Beach Hotel-Entebbe, welcoming participants from over 20 countries.
In his address, Prof. Jude lauded FISU officials for choosing Uganda as this year’s host. “We are grateful as a country and honored to host this international event,” said Prof. Lubega.
Adding that,”Mind sports, such as chess and bridge game, require strategic thinking and intellectual prowess, aligning perfectly well with the core values that universities toil to impart in students.”
The five-day event, running from June 25th to 30th, features teams from China, France, Germany, Belgium, Slovakia, Czech Republic, India, USA, Poland, Kenya, Burundi, Botswana, Libya, Tanzania, and Uganda, among others.
Four Nkumba University students – Dusabe Ghyslaine, Igiraneza Nadege, Bayikeze Emilienne, and Niyubanwe Cedric – are representing Burundi in the bridge game.
Speaking on behalf of the FISU President, Nomsa Mahlangu, from South Africa, advised participants to exercise the highest level of sportsmanship and expressed gratitude for the warm welcome.
As the championship unfolds, participants will engage in intense mental battles in both chess and Bridge Games. The stage is now set for a thrilling competition, with the world’s best mind sports athletes gathered in Entebbe. The championship promises to be an unforgettable experience, celebrating the unity and excellence of university students worldwide.
Briefly about FISU
With the revival of the prewar tradition of the World University Games in 1947, the International Union of Students, which had taken the lead in the university sports movement, used cultural and sports activities to spread communism.
The will to protect university sport from political influence was therefore core to the origin of FISU and on 1 June 1949, FISU – the Fédération Internationale du Sport Universitaire, held its founding General Assembly in Zurich, Switzerland.
Student sports leaders from several European countries gathered under the presidency of Luxembourg teacher and sports leader Paul Schleimer to create the first-ever international federation in charge of university sports.
Since its inception, the federation has aimed at promoting the cultural aspect of the student body from all countries, exchanging the experiences of university sports, organize international university meetings, and spread the moral values of sport.
