International students, staff and faculty members began competition Nov. 2 in the International Campus Games hosted by the Holmes Cultural Diversity Center and the department of recreational sports. This year marks the third year of the event.
Participants joined their home-countries’ teams to compete in individual and team sports.
“We thought it was good for the international students to have something to claim as their own,” Holmes Cultural Diversity Center program coordinator Shaz Akram said.
“The students compete over a period of several days. The event is set up like a low-key Olympics to allow for cultural exchange,” student affairs vice president Bill Kibler said.
The games include badmitton, cricket, a 5K run, table tennis, soccer, bench press, racquetball, volleyball, basketball and tennis. In this year’s games, the 5K run is being combined with the annual Turkey Trot race, but the international students will be competing in their own brackets.
The games were designed to bring in a language and cultural exchange, as well as to provide a fun, competitive activity for the students, Akram said.
Akram also said, “We are very happy about the participation this year. About 300 students signed up, and we have American students participating.”
Migelhewa Kaumal, a chemistry doctoral student, as well as the Sri Lanka team capitan said, ” We need to highlight our country. We have ten guys participating, and I am participating for the first time.”
Kaumal is participating in four of the events, including cricket, the 5K run, volleyball, and badmitton he said. Kaumal said, “I have never played volleyball before, but I practiced for one week just to compete for the team.”
The International Campus games will culminate in an olympic style closing on
November 12th.”