NYUAD Basketball and Football Teams Compete in Rome
Last weekend, Nov. 14 to 16, 20 students, 10 from the women’s football team and 10 from the men’s basketball team went to Rome, Italy to participate ...
Nov 22, 2014
Last weekend, Nov. 14 to 16, 20 students, 10 from the women’s football team and 10 from the men’s basketball team went to Rome, Italy to participate in the 14th World InterUniversities Tournament: Euro Roma 2014.
The tournament hosted over 70 universities that participated in nine different sports for both men and women from futsal to table tennis.
The purpose of the trip was to compete with universities that have more established athletic departments and more experience at competitive sports.
The men’s basketball team made it out of the group stage and into the quarterfinals, playing a total of four games. The women’s football team did not make it out of the group stage after three games.
Freshman William Young shared his opinion on the benefits of the trip to Rome:
“We were able to play against teams who were faster, stronger and more experienced than we had faced before. This challenge allowed us to extend and test our capabilities, given that basketball currently is so much more developed in Europe than the UAE.”
Apart from the tournament, the students got to visit the Colosseum, climb the Spanish Steps and visit Vatican City. The students were also allowed to use their free time to further explore the city.
Peter Dicce, director of NYU Abu Dhabi Athletics, shared his thoughts on the team’s camaraderie and overall experience in Rome:
“The team got to travel together and build stronger relationships. All the girls went to the boys’ games and the boys went to the girls’ games to show their support. I think the trip was too short but overall the team got a nice taste of Rome," Dicce said.
Rhoshenda Ellis is a staff writer. Email her at rellis@thegazelle.org.
related
trending