University Games 2023: UB, UBa win 30 medals as Yaounde I crowned champions.

The two higher institutions of learning from Anglophone Cameroon won a joint total of 30 medals. 

The University of Buea, UB won 20 medals, finishing 7^th on the classification table while the University of Bamenda, UBa on its part picked up 10 medals and were ranked 15^th out of the 18 state and private higher institutions that competed at the games.

The 20 medals won by UB include five gold, six silver and nine bronze. The medals were won in disciplines like traditional wrestling, judo, athletics and table tennis.

The athletes of the first Anglo-saxon university in the country, who won the medals in Ngaoundere, presented their prizes to the institution’s Vice Chancellor, Horace Manga at the close of the games over the weekend.

Prof Horace Manga congratulated the students for making the University of Buea proud at this year’s games.

On the other hand, UB’s sister university, UBa returned home from the Ngaoundere games with 10 medals, six silver and four bronze.

They came very close to winning gold in the men and women’s football but luck failed to smile on them as they were both defeated at the finals.

UBa football boys who had won gold in Dschang in 29 were aiming to retain the crown, but the host university snatched it from them. 

The University of Ngaoundere won the final on penalties 5-4 after a 0-0 tie in regular time. The girls too on their part fail to overcome the University of Douala at the final as they were defeated during post-match penalties.

Besides the 10 medals, the University of Bamenda was also crowned as the best fan club of the games.

UBa’s Vice Chancellor, Prof Theresia Nkuo Ankenji said her athletes would have done better than just the 10 medals they won. 

She attributed their failure in some disciplines to the youthful exuberance of the athletes, some of whom the academic said were competing at the games for the first time.

University of Yaounde emerge overall best

The trophy for the most performant higher institution of learning at this year’s competition went to the University of Yaounde I. Their athletes won a total of 37 medals, amongst them 17 gold, 10 silver and 10 bronze.

The Gulf University Institute, IUG ranked second on the official classification table with 11 gold, 08 silver and 10 bronze medals while the Siantou University Institute in Yaounde completed the top three spot with 08 gold, 10 silver and 14 bronze medals.

A total of 263 medals were won in over 10 disciplines at the games.

The Minister of Higher Education, Prof Jacques Fame Ndongo, accompanied by his colleague of Sports and Physical Education, Prof Narcisse Mouelle, congratulated the athletes and officials who competed in the game for exercising fair play and the spirit of sportsmanship.

He was also full of praises for the Rector of the University of Ngaoundere, Prof Uphie Chinje, her collaborators and all members of the organising committee for ensuring the smooth holding of the one-week event.

The varsity games were returning to Nagoundere for the first time in 10 years. They last hosted in 2013.

It was also the first time in three years that the games were being played. Since the last edition hosted by the University of Dschang in 2019, the games failed to hold in 2020, 2021 and 2022 as a result of the coronavirus virus.

The newly created University of Garoua is due to host the 2024 University Game