There was a splendid performance to herald the opening of the 28th Ghana Universities Sports Association (GUSA) games, currently on-going in Cape Coast.
The 15-day event is on the theme: ‘repositioning university sports for national development’ and featured all 16 public universities.
Among the participating universities are University of Cape Coast (UCC), host, University of Ghana, Legon, University of Education, Winneba (UEW), Kwame
Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), University of Development Studies (UDS) and University of Professional Studies (UPSA).
Others are University of Environment and Sustainable Development (UESD), Ghana Communication Technology University (GCTU), University of Business and Integrated Development Studies (UBIDS), University of Media, Arts and Communication (UniMAC), C.K Tedam University of Technology and Applied Sciences (CKT-UTAS) and Akenten Appiah Menka University of Skills, Training and Entrepreneurial Development (AAUSTED).
The rest are University of Mines and Technology (UMaT), Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA), University of Health and Allied Sciences (UHAS) and University of Energy and Natural Resources (UNER).
They would compete in athletics, beach volley ball, goalball, handball, hockey, basketball, football, netball, badminton, tennis and table tennis.
The Vice Chancellor of UCC, Prof. Johnson Nyarko Boampong, lighted the games’ flame to officially kick-start the commencement of the 28th GUSA games.
In an address, Prof. Boampong stated that the event was not just a series of competitions but provides an opportunity for the teams to showcase their talents.
The theme for the games, he explained, was a wake-up call for stakeholders to resource universities with the state-of-the-art infrastructure to train talents for national and global sporting events.
The President of GUSA, Shaibu Ibrahim Tanko, also noted that sports in universities were a vital catalyst for fostering unity, nurturing talent, and contributing to the socio-economic growth of the nation.
He said university sports played a crucial role in developing well-rounded individuals who contribute positively to society.
The Local Organising Committee Chair, who was also the immediate past Pro Vice Chancellor of UCC, Prof. Rosemond Boohene, in her remarks, noted that the theme aligns with the core mission of universities to serve as catalysts for national growth.
“University sports go beyond mere creation, they serve as a vital tool for nurturing talent, promoting.healthy lifestyles and instilling essential values such as discipline, teamwork, and resilience in our future leaders.”
FROM DAVID O. YARBOI-TETTEH, CAPE COAST
