AUC Titans Hit the Ground Running

By: Baher Baroma
@Baher94

AUC’s football team, The Titans, is back on the field and holding tryouts after the death of one of its players and the team’s consequent suspension.

Following a series of discussions and meetings with the co-founder of the team, Mina Nabil, the administration finally lifted their decision on the suspension of the team and gave them the green light to play again.

The initial decision to bar the team from playing was due to a lack of sufficient safety equipment and their inability to meet the necessary medical requirements to guarantee their safety.

The administration felt that these shortcomings contributed to the death of Titan Omar Khaled.

“The suspension came as a huge shock to the sports community. All contact sports, including rugby and martial arts had to be stopped,” Nabil told The Caravan.

As a result of the negotiations, students are now allowed to participate in contact sports but only following medical checkups.

“[The] AUC Titans’ comeback is not entirely finished yet. What we ask, and this is the standard policy, is that students have to take their medical exams before we can even allow them to practice,” Louise Bertini, Athletics Director told The Caravan.

“The only extra requirement we’re asking of football is the safety equipment, which we are also checking,” Bertini said.

Bertini said that The Titans had so far purchased 24 helmets and shoulder pads but not all the required safety equipment.”

“Once they do that, they will be able to play again in the league, but until then they are only permitted to practice,” she said.

Nabil feels the current AUC administration has been more understanding.

“They took serious steps by setting up meetings with the clinic, which we did not even know about at first,” Nabil added.