Figure 1: Committee members gathered for a group photo at the end of the  AUSF Executive Committee meeting

By Muhammad Ariiq, AUSF Student Media Contributor

28 Nov 2025 | 9:24 PM

MACAO, China – With new championships, wider opportunities, and deeper international collaboration planned for 2026, the Asian University Sports Federation concluded its Executive Committee meeting on 28 November 2025.

Due to other commitments, AUSF President Dr. LIU Lixin didn’t join the meeting onsite but presided over the meeting online. He praised that AUSF are steadily maturing into a global and professional sports organization with the joint efforts of all EC members.

Figure 2: AUSF President Dr. LIU Lixin presided over the meeting online.

The presence of FISU President Leonz Eder and FISU Secretary General / CEO Matthias Remund further highlighted FISU’s strong support for AUSF’s efforts to enhance student engagement across Asia.

Figure 3: The presence of FISU President Leonz Eder and FISU Secretary General / CEO Matthias Remund further highlighted FISU’s strong support for AUSF and its strategic direction.

In what was described as a “passionate” meeting, AUSF Secretary General Seetow Cheng Fave shared that “there were a lot of hot topics that were debated”. Among these topics was the challenge of improving student participation and engagement in university sport.

Figure 4: AUSF Vice President Khalid Almuzaini shares AUSF's commitment to serving university students

For AUSF Vice-President Khalid Almuzaini, he believes that AUSF is  headed in the right direction and he is optimistic that AUSF’s initiatives in improving student engagement will be successful.

“We've accomplished a lot so far and we will continue to serve students because they are our focus.” He added, “We need to focus more and more on students and give students opportunities not only for elite sports athletes but also all sectors of students”.

This sentiment was echoed by Seetow, who highlighted the importance of strengthening alternate pathways for university students.

“Sports is not just about competition on the field, on the track, or in the pool,” he said. “You can get involved in sports in many ways, as an athlete, as a reporter, as a volunteer.”

This resonates with AUSF’s new programmes, such as the AUSF Regional Development Programme and the AUSF Student Media Committee Bootcamp. In particular, the bootcamp aims to equip students with practical skills in communications, sports writing and sports reporting, delivered in a more affordable and accessible format.

With such programmes and resources available, Almuzaini encouraged students to explore these wider forms of participation as he believes that it is essential in order to create a vibrant sporting community across the continent.

The meeting also mapped out AUSF’s calendar of events for 2026. Among those are the inaugural Asian University Dragon Boat Championship, Asian University 3x3 Basketball, Asian University Badminton Championship, AUSF Football Cup, Asian University Volleyball Championship, Asian University Table Tennis Championship and the 2nd AUSF Regional Development Programme.

According to Seetow, AUSF remains committed to expanding university sports so that more students can get involved: “We want to do as much as we can to help students to improve their sporting excellence, but more importantly, it's also for them to have more opportunities to engage and interact with other students,” he said.

Figure 5: AUSF Secretary-General Seetow Cheng Fave pictured at the AUSF Executive Committee meeting as he urges university students to get engaged in university sport

As AUSF prepares for a landmark year in 2026, both leaders underscored that the federation’s success hinges on student engagement.

Seetow urged students to take the initiative: “Get involved, find your area of interest, what you're good at. Get started.”

Almuzaini similarly advised students to take the first step in getting involved with university sport: “I think university sports could serve you, could give you a chance to be a leader.” He added, “Go out, play sports, get engaged with AUSF”.