ASGA2017: The beginning of the end?

For most African students who have been in the Turkish Republic of North Cyprus, (TRNC) for more than one year, you can tell that the African Student Grand Awards (ASGA) is a regular fixture in the annual calendar. Like heat in the summer it has been an inescapable event for all Africans in North-Cyprus. Once every year, the ASGA brings together all Africans in virtually all universities in North Cyprus to a singular location to celebrate African talent and skill.

In previous years, the event location has been permanent and was always held at the Eastern Mediterranean University (EMU), Magusa. It always produced a spectacle which often cumulated in the crowning of the Miss Africa TRNC. 

Every year the ASGA drew participants from at least the 5 major universities in North Cyprus including: Cyprus International University (CIU), Eastern Mediterranean University (EMU), European University of Lefke (EUL), Girne American University (GAU) and Near East University (NEU). 

ASGA2017 was a disaster, NO! But it was a disaster of magnanimous proportions. Just looking at the AKKM hall at the Near East University where the 2017 event took place, it did not reflect the African Diversity we were used to seeing at previous ASGAs.

The show itself was a fiasco; the MCs went out of their way to show their obvious favoritism towards acts and performances from Near East University. The performances were oddly one sided; only seldom did you see artists and performances from Universities other than Near East University. Even the annual Miss Africa TRNC pageant, the crowning jewel of the event appeared to have no participation from EMU, EUL and GAU. To worsen an already bad situation NEU didn’t appear to make provision for pageant Judges. 

As for the awards, it appeared only NEU and EMU were presented with the awards. Half way through the event, you could hear audible calls for CIU students to boycott the event. CIU students left the hall abruptly and pulled their contestants away from the pageant. You could feel the pillars of ASG Awards crumbling almost before your very eyes. It was a sham, It was shame it was almost indefensible. 

For the first time in the history of the event, there was no Miss Africa TRNC this year, as the pageant ended abruptly. 

Even the after party at Club Big Bang was scantier than the hair of the artist, Pitbull. It made you question why Near East University hosted the ASGA this year. It was obvious they, (NEU) were not prepared to host an event of such magnitude. They failed in organization so much that they couldn’t provide Judges for the pageant. 

The real question here is have we just witness the last ASGA? Has Near East University Just ended ASGA?  Or will this almost decade old tradition survive this arbitration. Only time will tell. 

Anonymous