Story: Zakaria Alhassan, Tamale
THE 20th edition of the Ghana Universities Sports Association (GUSA) Games has opened in Tamale with a call by President John Agyekum Kufuor on the country’s public universities to include special courses in sports development in their curricula to broaden the horizon of students.
According to President Kufuor, it had become increasingly clear that sports was key to any effort aimed at consolidating peace, unity and development in every nation.
“Apart from sports creating the platform for social interaction and harmony, it also provides good avenues for the youth to invest their leisure time and to promote healthy lifestyles. It is a time for all of us to feel Ghanaian,” he observed.
The president made the call in a speech read on his behalf by the Minister of Education, Science and Sports, Prof. Dominic Fobih, at the opening ceremony of the games in Tamale last Thursday.
This year’s event is on the theme “Sports for Academic Excellence” and is being hosted by the University for Development Studies (UDS).
The five other public universities participating in the games include the University of Mines and Technology, Tarkwa, University of Cape Coast, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, University of Ghana and University of Education, Winneba.
The six universities are competing in soccer, basketball, handball, volleyball and athletics, among others.
The president observed that Ghana was endowed with many sporting talents whose skills could only be tapped and improved through the provision of the right training centres and facilities.
President Kufuor further indicated that government was committed to promoting sports at all levels in the country and mentioned the construction of two new stadia in Tamale and Sekondi, and the renovation of the Ohene Djan and Baba Yara Stadia to buttress his point.
“There is the need to do more, and this requires all partners to get involved,” he stressed.
The acting Vice-Chancellor of the UDS, Prof. Kaku Nokoe, stressed on the need for students to engage in sports alongside pursuing their academic displines because of the health benefits.
He also urged the visiting sports men and women to take the opportunity to visit some tourist sites in and around the metropolis so as to maximise their stay in Tamale.
Meanwhile, host of the the Ghana University Sports Games, the University for Development Studies (UDS), suffered their first defeat on Thursday when the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) humbled them by 4-3 through penalty shootouts in a soccer match.
The thrilling encounter ended 1-1 at the end of regulation time after which it was decided on the shoot out.
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