WOA offers 150 university scholarships to Olympians

World Olympians Association (WOA) is offering 150 50%-funded academic scholarships to Olympians as part of its ongoing partnership with the World Academy of Sport (WAoS), a leading organisation in the development of specialist education programmes in the sports industry.

The life-changing scholarships, which cover 50% of the course fee, will give Olympians the opportunity to remotely study for a Postgraduate Certificate in International Sports Management by the prestigious University of London in the UK. Open to all Olympians, the scholarships are aimed at strengthening Olympians’ professional qualifications while boosting career prospects.

This is the latest initiative offered by WOA and WAoS following an MOU signed in July 2020 in which the two organisations pledged to create more educational and employment opportunities for Olympians. Last month, two fully funded scholarships for the same University of London course, starting in September, were awarded to Simona Castro OLY (Gymnastics, Chile) and Sebusiso Keketsi OLY (Boxing, Lesotho). Both Olympians are now studying to gain a globally recognised qualification, which will stand them in good stead in their future careers.

The new 50% scholarships will see the next cohort of Olympians join the January 2021 intake of the Postgraduate Certificate in International Sports Management. The course, completed via remote learning, is designed to be time-flexible allowing Olympians to complete it at their own pace.

World Olympians Association President, Joël Bouzou OLY, said:

"We are absolutely delighted to be able to offer so many Olympians an additional opportunity to study for the Postgraduate Certificate in International Sports Management by the world-renowned University of London. The 150 50% scholarships, along with the two fully funded scholarships previously awarded, will be life changing for Olympians looking to strengthen their professional qualifications and enhance their employability, empowering them with the skills they need to make a difference in their own communities. We are proud to partner with World Academy of Sport to deliver this exciting opportunity and look forward to collaborating on future initiatives that support Olympians to achieve their life goals."

WAoS Managing Director, Chris Solly, said:

"We are thrilled to be able to offer these scholarships to Olympians during these challenging times. Olympians are inherent leaders within their respective communities and hence closely connected to them. By making use of this fully online opportunity we know that these Olympians will not only take strides in their own personal and professional development, each of them will create positive change through the skills they develop throughout the programme. In turn, this will deliver a long term cascading impact locally, nationally and internationally. In times when the world faces such uncertainty we are excited to be partnering with WOA to nurture the amazing talents of Olympians and allow them to progress with confidence to the next stage of their careers."

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