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AUC President Ahmad Dallal Holding the All Africa University Games Cup

AUC Wins All-Africa University Games Championship For Third Time

Cairo, September 17, 2026 - The American University in Cairo (AUC) has been crowned champion of the 12th All-Africa University Games (Cairo 2026), finishing 1st among 81 universities to win the continental title for the third time and reaffirm its position among Africa’s leading university sports programs. AUC student-athletes secured 46 medals in the mainstream competitions, including 16 gold, 13 silver and 17 bronze, and 15 medals in the para competitions, comprising 10 gold, three silver and two bronze, across a wide range of sports, including swimming, tennis, squash, modern pentathlon, fencing, table tennis, badminton, taekwondo, judo, padel tennis, futsal and basketball. Approximately 150 AUC student-athletes competed in individual and team sports throughout the Games.

The championship was formally awarded to AUC during the Games’ closing ceremony, held yesterday at Cairo Stadium, where AUC President Ahmad Dallal received the championship cup on behalf of the University. The ceremony was attended by Egyptian Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research Abdel Aziz Qansouh; Ashraf Sobhy, president of the African University Sports Federation and former minister of youth and sports; Ahmed Kamel, vice president of the Egyptian University Sports Federation; the leadership of the Federation of African University Sports (FASU); and university presidents.

“This is a tremendous achievement for the entire AUC community and a moment of great pride for our University,” said AUC President Ahmad Dallal. “Winning the championship for the third time is a testament to the determination and sportsmanship of our student-athletes, who represented Egypt and AUC with distinction throughout the Games, as well as to the dedication of our coaches, athletics leadership and the wider University community.”

Dallal added, “We are proud to celebrate this achievement and remain committed to investing in sport as an important part of the university experience and as a means of contributing to the development of sport in Egypt and across Africa. We are also deeply grateful to the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, the Ministry of Youth and Sports, the International University Sports Federation, the Federation of Africa University Sports, and the Egyptian University Sports Federation for their leadership and for giving AUC the opportunity to contribute to this important continental event, which brings students together through competition while also fostering connections, friendships and opportunities for collaboration.”

AUC played a central role as a host institution, staging about half of all competitions at its state-of-the-art AUC Sports Complex, including 10 of the 21 sports. The University hosted competitions in basketball, track and field, tennis, padel, squash, modern pentathlon, fencing, futsal, volleyball and swimming. This further demonstrated AUC’s capacity to support major sporting events in Egypt and contribute its facilities, expertise and organizational experience to a continental competition.

The 2026 Games brought together approximately 2,000 athletes from 80 universities across 17 African nations, with 72 universities winning medals. AUC emerged as the overall champion in a highly competitive continental field.

The championship marks AUC’s third continental title, following consecutive victories at the 2022 Games in Nairobi, Kenya, and the 2024 Games in Lagos, Nigeria. Organized every two years by the Federation of African University Sports (FASU), the competition will next be held in Algiers, Algeria, in 2028.

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. 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 were instrumental in the successful execution of the 2026 Games.

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Founded in 1919, The American University in Cairo (AUC) is a leading English-language, American- accredited institution of higher education and center of the intellectual, social, and cultural life of the Arab world. It is a vital bridge between East and West, linking Egypt and the region to the world through scholarly research, partnerships with academic and research institutions and study abroad programs. 

The University offers 39 undergraduate, 52 master’s and two PhD programs rooted in a liberal arts education that encourages students to think critically and find creative solutions to conflicts and challenges facing both the region and the world. 

An independent, nonprofit, politically non-partisan, non-sectarian and equal opportunity institution, AUC is fully accredited in Egypt and the United States.