Homegrown UG Talents Shine at 27th GUSA Games
UG Male Football Team
The Director of Sports, Dr. Bella Bello Bitugu, has praised athletes who represented the University of Ghana at the 27th Ghana Universities Sports Association (GUSA) Games for proving that nurturing and development from the grass roots is possible and the way to go. He made the comment during the closing ceremony of the Games hosted by the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi.
The University of Ghana amassed a total of forty-six (46) medals (11 gold, 21 silver, and 14 bronze) in one of the most competitive editions in the history of the GUSA Games.
UG Female Hockey Team won Silver at the Games
Dr. Bitugu, who touted the Games as one of the most successful in recent times, emphasised the need to be intentional in the process of developing and nurturing of athletes.
"We have seen a lot of progress, and this shows we are on course. This performance attests to the development from within that we often speak about. Going to the grassroots, the bottom-up approach. In my opinion, every university should approach sports development this way, nurturing our talents from scratch. This I call a silent and patient investment. I believe the strategy is working, and we certainly have to continue. However, we have seen our shortfalls with our female teams and the ball games, which we will review and build upon subsequently."
Dr. Bella Bello Bitugu, Director of Sports, UG
The Games, held under the auspices of the Vice-Chancellor of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Professor Mrs. Rita Akosua Dickson, was themed "Harnessing Sporting Talents of Students for National Development Through Healthy Competition Using Science and Technology."
Performance of Team UG
UG competed in all twelve disciplines at the Games. These were: Athletics, Badminton, Basketball, Beach Volleyball, Football, Goalball, Handball, Hockey, Netball, Table Tennis, Tennis, and Volleyball. The University of Ghana Athletics Team (track and field) was very impressive on the track and field, toppling all the other thirteen (13) universities to win the athletics trophy. The team won 10 gold, 7 silver, and 5 bronze medals, contributing to 48% of UG’s total medal accumulation at the Games. Goalball men also contributed one gold to the medal haul.
UG 4x100m Relay Team
The Senior Assistant Registrar at the Sports Directorate thanked University Senior Management, members of the Sports Advisory Board, and the Sports Management Committee on behalf of the contingent for visiting the team in Kumasi and sending well wishes. He said that those visits and messages gave the Team added impetus to excel at the Games.
Other participating institutions were: University of Cape Coast, University of Education, Winneba, University for Development Studies, University of Mines and Technology, University of Energy and Natural Resources, University of Professional Studies, Accra, University of Health and Allied Sciences, Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration, Ghana Institution of Journalism, SD Dombo University for Business and Integrated Development Studies, Akenten Appiah Menkah University of Skills Training and Entrepreneurial Development, and CK Tedam University of Technology and Applied Sciences.
The University of Cape Coast will host the 28th edition in 2024.