The University of Azuay is among the best in the world in women's 3x3 basketball.
The University of Azuay has consolidated its position as a leader in university sports by qualifying for the FISU 3x3 University Basketball World Cup, which will be held from November 14 to 17, 2025, in Brasilia, Brazil.
This prestigious tournament, organized by the Brazilian University Sports Confederation (CBDU) and the International University Sports Federation (FISU), brings together only 12 women's and 12 men's university teams from around the world.
With this achievement, the UDA is positioned among the top ten universities in the world in 3x3 basketball, with a team made up of Nathalia Vicuña, Anahí Astudillo, Stephanie Narváez, Valentina Guillén, and coach Belén Carpio. It is also the first Ecuadorian institution to achieve this level of achievement in any sport.
Sports: Celebration of university life
At the University of Azuay, education goes beyond the classroom, in harmony with an educational model based on principles of humanism, an ethic of care, and community life. Its campus is 100% sustainable and autonomous, boasting a photovoltaic energy system that allows for energy autonomy and delivers surplus energy to the public grid, underpinned by a sense of care and well-being. Today, the promotion of university sports also fosters health care, seeking the full development of students.
Sports represent holistic development and a healthy lifestyle. Through their practice, our students create strong bonds of camaraderie and solidarity. The pursuit of athletic excellence through effort, perseverance, and dedication teaches them essential values such as discipline, teamwork, and respect for others—qualities that are reflected in the academic and personal lives of our UDA Pumas.
“At the University of Azuay, the entire community is fully committed to the inspiring effort to anticipate the desirable future: a future in which humanity's goals are met: to tenderly care for life, practice the ethics of justice, and foster an environment of hope for future generations. Among us, sport stands as a common language and a celebration of life. It is the dance of body and spirit that sustains physical health, calms the mind, ignites inner strength, and opens paths of community. In play, we discover solidarity, learn to care for one another, and overcome limits together. Our UDA World Cup athletes are the best example for youth to always flourish,” said Francisco Salgado, Rector.
Promoting university sports means believing in an education that humanizes, that cultivates the body and spirit, and that teaches us to face challenges with determination and joy. The University of Azuay understands that every athletic achievement is an inspiration to the entire community, because every student who strives reflects the true meaning of our educational model.