Nigeria loses bid to host World Association for Sports Management congress

The World Association for Sports Management (WASM) executive board, yesterday, at its fourth yearly general meeting (AGM) at the College of Education Auditorium, Doha campus of Qatar University, picked North West University, Cape Town, South Africa, as host of the fifth edition of its congress.

The South African school beat three other bids, including Nigeria’s, which was ranked second to the hosting right.

According to Africa Sports Management Association’s (ASMA) Secretariat Administrator, Olufemi Abioye, Australia’s bid was ranked third among over 40 bids submitted by WASM members.

Speaking on the hosting right in Doha, yesterday, ASMA President, Professor Oluwaseun Omotayo, expressed delight at the outcome of the bid process, which he described as a a good development.

Professor Omotayo led the Africa delegation comprising members from Nigeria, Ghana, The Gambia, Ethiopia, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Benin, South Africa and Kenya to the Congress in Doha, where Professor Ruth Crabtree of the United Kingdom emerged unopposed as the new WASM president.

He said: “Though Nigeria lost out to South Africa, the joy for me as ASMA president is that Africa triumphed. The Congress coming to Africa shall expectedly deepen professionalism in sports management practice on the continent.”