AUC TO HOST TEN SPORTS AT 2026 ALL-AFRICA UNIVERSITY GAMES
AUC TO HOST TEN SPORTS AT 2026 ALL-AFRICA UNIVERSITY GAMES AS TWO-TIME DEFENDING CHAMPION
The American University in Cairo (AUC) will host ten sports at the 2026 All Africa University Games, taking place in Cairo from September 8 to 16. As Egypt prepares to host the continent’s largest multi-sport university competition for the first time, AUC will play a central role in the Games both as a host institution and as the reigning two-time continental champion.
Organized by the Federation of African University Sports (FASU), the Games bring together university athletes from across Africa every two years. Previous editions were held in Nairobi, Kenya, in 2022 and Lagos, Nigeria, in 2024. This year’s championship will bring together 59 African universities from 16 countries and around 2,000 student-athletes, including para-athletes who will compete in the Games for the first time. About 150 AUC student-athletes will participate in the Games.
AUC heads into the 2026 Games as the reigning two-time continental champion. The University claimed first place overall across Africa at both the 2022 Games in Kenya and the 2024 Games in Nigeria, while also ranking first among Egyptian universities at both editions. This year, AUC will seek to extend its championship run on home soil.
“AUC is proud to be part of this historic moment for university sport in Egypt and across Africa,” said Sharif El Erian, senior director of athletics at AUC. “Our role as a host allows us to showcase the University’s state-of-the-art sports facilities, our experience in hosting high-level competitions and our commitment to providing student-athletes with an environment that supports excellence and high-level competition. At the same time, our student-athletes will have the opportunity to defend the continental title they have won in the past two editions. We look forward to welcoming athletes from across Africa and celebrating the spirit of excellence, sportsmanship and unity that defines university sport.”
The Games will feature 21 sports in total, including 17 individual sports and four team sports. AUC will host ten of the 21 sports: basketball, track and field, tennis, padel tennis, squash, modern pentathlon, fencing, futsal, volleyball and swimming. The remaining 11 sports will be hosted by other Egyptian universities participating in the Games.
The Games will be marked by an Olympic-style torch relay that began at the New Administrative Capital on August 9 and will travel across all participating universities. The relay will conclude at AUC on August 31, where a major ceremony with AUC student-athletes will mark the torch’s arrival and celebrate the spirit of unity and sportsmanship that defines the Games.
AUC’s Sports Complex is home to 38 athletic programs, offering a diverse range of sports and activities that support training, competition and athletic development. The University’s programs span team and individual sports, including basketball, volleyball, handball, track and field, swimming, squash, tennis and table tennis. Over the years, the complex has hosted numerous local and international student competitions, including the UIPM Modern Pentathlon World Cup, Special Olympics qualifiers and Egyptian Universities Sports Federation (EUSF) fixtures. Its comprehensive athletic infrastructure and experience in hosting major competitions position AUC to play a leading role in the 2026 All-Africa University Games.
