The 28th Ghana University Sports Association (GUSA) Games have commenced in earnest following a colourful opening ceremony on Monday night.
The 15-day event promises fierce yet entertaining competitions as 15 universities join the host school, University of Cape Coast (UCC), in the Central Regional capital, to battle it out in 12 disciplines.
The event, from January 3 to 18, is on the theme: “Repositioning University sports for national development.”
Following a few significant activities, the GUSA flag and the flags of the competing universities were hoisted, before Professor Johnson Nyarko Boampong, the Vice-Chancelor of UCC, lit the Games Flame to open the competition.
The disciplines for the event are athletics, beach volleyball, goalball, handball, hockey, volleyball, basketball, football, netball, badminton, tennis and table tennis.
The competing schools are UCC, University of Ghana, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, University of Education Winneba, University for Development Studies, University of Professional Studies, Accra, University of Mines and Technology, and Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration.
The others are the University of Energy and Natural Resources, University of Health and Allied Sciences, Akenten Appiah-Menka University of Skills, Training and Entrepreneurial Development, and C.K. Tedam University of Technology and Applied Sciences.
The rest are University of Media, Arts and Communication, University of Business and Integrated Development Studies, Ghana Communication Technology University, and University for Environment and Sustainable Development.
Prof Boampong highlighted the importance of sports in national development and underscored the need for stakeholders to resource universities with modern infrastructure to train and produce talents for national and global sporting events.
He indicated that sports had become a powerful vehicle for social change, economic growth, and national pride and, thus, called for a robust framework, which prioritised university sports as a cornerstone of national development.
“I, therefore, call on all stakeholders, especially, the Government of Ghana to channel resources towards the upgrade and expansion of sports infrastructure in our universities,” he said.
“In addition, we are appealing to the Ghana Scholarship Secretariat to extend scholarships to talented students in our universities to create a promising future for sports development, which eventually will be immensely beneficial to the nation.”
The UCC Vice-Chancellor urged the officiating body to be fair in their duties to ensure the games proceeded and ended beautifully.
He touted UCC’s successes in sports and expressed the school’s resolve to “host and win”.
Professor Rosemond Boohene, the immediate past Pro Vice-Chancellor of UCC and Chair of the Local Organising Committee (LOC), stressed the importance of sports to national growth, indicating its role in nurturing talent, promoting healthy lifestyles, and instilling essential values such as discipline, teamwork, and resilience in students.
She implored the athletes to exhibit the highest standards of sportsmanship and compete fairly to build valuable values and relationships.
“As the host University and through the LOC, we are committed to making this GUSA Games an unforgettable experience, not just for its competitive spirit, but also for its ability to bring us together as one academic and sporting community,” she said.
Mr Shaibu Ibrahim Tanko, the President of GUSA, expressed the Association’s commitment to providing the necessary support and platforms for student-athletes to thrive.
“University sports are not just about competition; they are about building character, fostering teamwork, and promoting excellence. They play a crucial role in developing well-rounded individuals who contribute positively to society,” he said.
The GUSA Games offered host universities the opportunity to invest in modern facilities that serve student athletes in surrounding communities, pointing out significant upgrades in UCC’s sports infrastructure.
Mr Tanko entreated all participants to uphold the values of discipline, teamwork, and respect and compete fiercely but fairly.
GNA
