African Sports Monthly International Women's Day Special Edition | Page 28

ASM: You went to the last World University Games in Gwangju South Korea, what was that

experience like and what did you take away from your attendance that is of significance personally
and for the benefit of the African continent?

Peninnah: I have been to a number of World University Games, as a student athlete in 1987 Zagreb,

and 1989 Duisburg, 2001 Beijing as the Head Coach, 2003 Izmir and 2007 Bangkok as the head of
Delegation for Uganda. In Bangkok I was elected on the FISU Executive Committee as a board member
since then I have been attending the Universiade as a board member of FISU.
The 28th Universiade, in Gwangju Korea was an awesome experience and a low cost event. The
organizers ran the campaign on an environmental platform advocating the use of green energy. There
was great government and local government support to the games.
We can use sports events as a vehicle for infrastructural development in cities and our individual
institutions. The athletes’ village was a new area, built for use by the people of Gwangju after the
games. They were sold off prior to the games to the city residents.

Such a big sporting event can only strengthen the ties between people and the cultures of this world
and especially so for Africa.

ASM: You have been working in the sports arena in Africa for a while now, tell us what are the
challenges for African women in Sports on the continent and outside of Africa

Peninnah: First of all, there are very few

women in university sports management on
the continent and the world at large. I
would attribute this to mainly our lack of
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