A choreography performance at the opening ceremony
University of Ghana (UG) Sports Director, Dr. Bella Bello Bitugu, has urged organisers of the Ghana University Students Association (GUSA) to maintain and sustain the high standards set in the ongoing edition (Legon 2020) at Legon.
On Monday, the premier university delivered a masterful opening ceremony of this year’s event (26th edition) to the admiration of the large crowd that gathered at the Legon Campus.
A spectacular cultural display, parade by the well-kit 11 participating universities, theme song, mascot unveiling and a keenly contested football game characterised the ceremony.
And to Dr. Bitugu, that was a foretaste of what to expect in the next 11 days.
He, however, cautioned that prospective hosts should challenge and march it but not to drop the pace set.
“We are expecting an incident, accident and casualty-free event in the next two weeks, interesting games competed in fairly, with the best emerging the winner, with people going back with a memorable thought of a standard, and a pace set for GUSA Games. UG has set the pace. l hope GUSA will maintain and sustain it. The talents come from the universities and that is why we have spent capital in ensuring a platform for participants to express themselves,” he said.
“It is for the others to challenge it at least to march it. For other universities, at least the minimum is to march it, don’t let the standard drop, and we will be where we want to be. It has not been easy at all. Whatever you imagined, quadruple it ? from trying to fix accommodation, security, medical, sanitation, infrastructure, etc,” Dr. Bitugu added.
Responding to whether he belong to the host and win mantra, he added,” I don’t believe in that. You win sports by performing and on fair basis. “
Vice Chancellor, University of Ghana, Prof. Ebenezer Oduro Owusu, said,
“… GUSA should aspire to move beyond the scope of competitions and tournaments by making sports sustainable. This will culminate in the public universities becoming the hub of national teams and elite sports as was in the case few decades ago. “
He mentioned that GUSA should have a second look at its routine and periodic games and move towards nurturing and developing talents in sports at the universities.
“To the GUSA family, l will continue to urge you to encourage the young men and women in our institutions, who in addition to their core mandate of acquiring academic degrees, do find time to play sports for their institutions and their nation,” GUSA President Dr. Charles Dumfeh pointed out.
He cited the only gold medals Ghana won at the last African Games by UG’s Paul Azamati (relay) and University of Cape Coast’s Rose Amoanimah (high jump) as a classical example.
GUSA started in 1964 and carries the mantle in sports as the longest surviving national sports competition in the country, with UG playing a pivotal role in its formation.
This year’s edition is themed: ‘integrating sports into academia for youth empowerment and development’.
The participating tertiary institutions include University of Ghana, Kwame Nkrumah University Science & Technology, Kumasi, University of Cape Coast, University of Education, Winneba , University of Development Studies, University of Mines and Technology (Tarkwah)), University of Professional Studies, University of Energy and Natural Resources, University of Health and Allied Sciences, Ghana Institute of Management & Public Administration (GIMPA)
By Kofi Owusu Aduonum