Jun 16, 2026

A Year of Athletic Excellence

From chess boards and swimming lanes to karate mats and basketball courts, student-athletes from KFUPM delivered an exceptional season across the Saudi University Sports Federation Championships, representing the university in competitions held across 18 cities in the Kingdom.

A total of 23 university teams took part in this year’s championships — including 13 men’s teams and 10 women’s teams — competing against universities from across Saudi Arabia in a wide range of sports. The university delegation featured 163 student-athletes who collectively completed more than 270 training sessions throughout the season, including several recruited externally to strengthen team preparation and performance.

The men’s teams competed in chess, table tennis, taekwondo, swimming, basketball, dodgeball, mini football, volleyball, padel, futsal, athletics, archery, and esports. Meanwhile, the women’s teams participated in chess, archery, athletics, futsal, volleyball, badminton, karate, padel, table tennis, and basketball.

The season was marked by several standout achievements at the national level.

The university’s chess team secured first place among 36 participating universities, highlighting one of the strongest performances of the year. The dodgeball team earned second place among 17 universities, while the taekwondo team claimed third and fourth place finishes in the 58 kg and 68 kg categories, alongside an overall ninth-place ranking among 25 universities.

In athletics, the university team earned four medals and finished sixth overall among 25 competing teams. The table tennis team also achieved strong results, placing fifth in singles competition and eighth in doubles among 32 participants. Additional accomplishments included the swimming team finishing tenth among 25 universities, while the archery team placed eighth and ninth among 32 competitors.

The university’s futsal and mini football teams both advanced to the championship finals, underscoring the growing competitiveness of KFUPM teams across multiple disciplines.

The women’s teams also delivered notable performances throughout the season. The badminton team finished fifth among 32 universities, while the women’s basketball team secured fourth place among 26 participating universities.

One of the season’s defining moments came through the karate team, which earned second place in individual kata competition. And in a landmark achievement for the university, student-athlete Wajd Sadeeq was selected to represent the Saudi Universities National Team, making her the first athlete from the university’s women’s teams to receive such recognition.

Beyond rankings and achievement podiums, the season reflected the university’s continued investment in building a comprehensive athletic culture that supports both competitive excellence and student development. Across 18 cities and dozens of national tournaments, KFUPM student-athletes demonstrated discipline, teamwork, and determination while representing the university on the national stage.