AUS swimming teams shine in intercollegiate competition

The Student Athletics and Recreation Department at American University of Sharjah (AUS) held intercollegiate swimming competitions for women and men at AUS on December 5 and 11, respectively.

Forty swimmers from different universities participated in the Third AUS Women's Intercollegiate Swimming Competition and competed in freestyle, butterfly, backstroke and breaststroke races along with a freestyle relay. AUS bagged the championship for the third year in row with 72 points followed by University of Sharjah with 65 and United Arab Emirates University in third place with 38 points. AUS swimmer Sally Masoud secured double gold medals in breaststroke and butterfly making excellent time, while Irina Kovaykina and Yusur Hashim placed second and third in the backstroke, and Lilian Neim received second place in butterfly. Mariam Hisham from University of Sharjah was the contributor for AUS and received the gold medal in backstroke and freestyle.

Around 70 male swimmers from seven universities in the UAE participated in the Third AUS Men's Intercollegiate Swimming Competition including Ajman University of Science and Technology, Ajman; Emirates Aviation College, Dubai; Birla Institute of Technology, IC, Ras Al Khaimah; Bits Pilani, Dubai; American University of Dubai; University of Sharjah; and American University of Sharjah. AUS swimmers dominated the pool by bagging seven gold, five silver and three bronze medals. 

Tareef Tamim (AUS), Khalil Sido (AUS) and Nader Rofail (AUD) bagged two gold medals each in individual events. The 4x50 meters medley relay was a close contest between AUS and AUD until the last lap but AUS freestyler Khalil closed the gap during the last stretch to claim the first place for AUS, which was followed by AUD and University of Sharjah. AUS became the overall Champion with 137 points, followed by University of Sharjah with 77 points and then American University in Dubai with 51 points.

Dr. Moza Al Shehhi, Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs, congratulated all winners and said, "It is crucial for our athletes to meet with others across the UAE to gain more experience and enhance their talents." Dr. Al Shehhi also stressed the importance of such types of events, which allow the swimmers to attain more glory and fame for themselves and for the university they represent. In addition, she expressed her gratitude to all AUS teams for their achievements in the fall semester.  

Dr. Al Shehhi addressed the swimmers during the awards ceremony and presented trophies and medals along with Dr. Mohamed Helal, Director of the Student Athletics and Recreation Department.