Nilai UC's triumphant runners who came first in the road relay event
"It was a welcome distraction from the stress of the examinations," smiled Victor Tan, a second year Diploma in Nursing student at Nilai University College (Nilai UC). "Although the tournament was very near our examinations, the training and eventual competition itself was a good way to de-stress from the revision."
Tan had plenty to smile about as he was part of the 1.1km relay team that took the gold at the annual Malaysian Association of Private Colleges and Universities (Mapcu) Sports Carnival, which was held, from the 12th -20th July 2008 at the Bukit Jalil Sports Complex. But that was not the only success Nilai UC had in the games as their athletes went on to grab pole position in various events. The men bagged gold in the 400m, 800m, 4X100m and the 4X400m.
The women also contributed to the haul by coming out tops in the 100m, 200m and 4X400m. Many of the students who took part in the Mapcu games echoed Tan's sentiments and were keen to stress that a sporting lifestyle helped them with their studies. "Being a competitive sportsperson teaches you to be focused and disciplined which are necessary traits if you want to excel in your studies," said Talent Kadzima (1st year Foundation Studies), who bagged the women's 100m gold.
Nilai UC athletes proudly displaying the medals won at the recently concluded Mapcu sports carnival
This mindset is reflective of Nilai UC's quest to produce well-rounded graduates who are not just bookworms. This is done by encouraging a healthy mix of education, social and sporting activities. Nilai UC actively promotes various club and sporting activities throughout the year to ensure students have plenty of worthwhile activities to keep the occupied.
As for the Nilai UC track and field team, they kept themselves occupied with daily training sessions at the campus's gymnasium. There were also regular training sessions at the Salak Stadium since last November. Such dedication to their training regime reaped its rewards with the impressive medal haul.
Nilai UC is located in the lush greenery of Putra Nilai and is just a 45-minute drive from Kuala Lumpur City Centre. Its students hail from 50 different countries giving its campus a unique multi-cultural atmosphere. The 105-acre campus has living amenities for students and features lots of sporting facilities such as football pitch, lakeside jogging track, and basketball and volleyball court.
