Participants at the Federation of Africa University Sports Games 2024 Scientific Conference has called for collaboration between Sports Scientists and other professionals in order to ensure sports excellence in Africa.
This, according to experts, will help bring forth new ideas that will boost sport development on the continent.
They also call for synergy between the academics and the professionals in the field in order to achieve great heights in sports across Africa.
The 3-day conference held at the Lagos State University (LASU), Ojo with the theme:’ Fostering Unity, Healthy Competition and Global Excellence Through University Sports’ commenced on Monday September 23rd and ended on Wednesday, September 25, 2024.
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Speaking at the closing ceremony on Wednesday, Director General National Institute for Sports, Lagos, Prof. Olawale Moronkola said that with the tenacity of purpose and enabling environment Africa should be able to excel in sports.
He added that African countries need to do more in terms of research that impacts on the society instead of just to be named a professor.
Prof. Moronkola disclosed that Africa has the personnel and will to drive sport science and with the right attitude and relevant researches, the continent will excel in sports.
Prof. Vincent Onywera, Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Innovation and Outreach, KCA University, Nairobi, Kenya, while speaking on the topic: ‘Research and Sports in Africa’ explained that research has gone through different revolutions to reach the stage it is now, adding that the first revolution was anchored on energy while the second revolution gave birth to electricity.
Third revolution, he said, was based on computing while the fourth revolution and the current one led to internet of things, robotics and Artificial Intelligence (AI).
He said that when it comes to the current revolution, Africa is still lagging behind especially placing the fourth revolution side by side sports development in Africa.
“Most countries are now moving towards the fourth revolution and there is the need for the continent to be on the same page.
“We need to break the silence and move in the right path like other continents in order to create sports excellence in Africa moving forward.”
Also, Professor of Exercise Physiology at the University of Lagos, Adeyemi Awopetu in his remarks reaffirmed the fact that ideas from sport science and collaborative efforts with other professionals have yielded so many improvement in sport in the past hence the need for Africa to do more in this direction.
“We have started this path and with this collaborative efforts we can achieve greater heights in sport in Africa,” he said.
Dr. Babatunde Sawyerr, a senior lecturer at the Department of Computer Science and Research, UNILAG, speaking on the topic: ‘The future of sports and artificial intelligence (Changing the landscape of sports in Africa through science and technology ‘ said that there are different tools for using the Artificial intelligence, adding that researchers in sports education can also collaborate with AI practitioners to develop sports.
According to him, AI in sport can generate a lot of things.
He however added that research from such collaboration should be localised with the aim of developing sports in Africa.
Dr. Boluwaji Jaiyesimi, Director of Sport and Associate Professor in the Department of Mathematics and Physical Sciences, Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State, while speaking on sports, technology, e-sports and AI said virtually everything has embraced Artificial intelligence adding that sport science in Africa needs to tow that line to boost sports development.
“It is the revolution now and Africa needs to be part of it.”
He added that due to the revolution, Africa curriculum must tilt more to computer based programmes.
Dr. Victor Ademola an expert in Exercise Physiology said that Artificial intelligence is wide and should be embraced to develop sports in Africa.
FASU Games tagged Lagos 2024 was jointly hosted by the LASU, and the University of Largos.
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