As part of its 75th anniversary celebrations, University of Ghana, Legon, on Wednesday, February 15, 2023, held an opening ceremony to officially kick off its sporting activities.
The celebration, which is under the theme “Nurturing Resilience: Adopting Technology, Embracing Humanism,” aims at encouraging the development of sports in Ghana through quality education and promoting physical fitness, mental health, and sportsmanship amongst the university community.
Held at the volleyball court of the university, there were some exhibition games for new sports disciplines introduced by the Sports Directorate as part of this year’s anniversary. The games included pickleball, teeball, and goalball.
In attendance to witness the ceremony were renowned alumni and dignitaries, with the likes of the Pro Vice-Chancellor of UG, Prof. Gordon Awandare, Dr. Bella Bello Bitugu, the Director of Sports Directorate, Augustine Arhinful, an ex-Black Stars player, Eva Okyere, – veteran broadcaster and legal brain, and some members of the planning committee for the 75th anniversary, including Prof. Akosua Adomako Ampofo and Prof. Clement K.I. Appah, Chair and Co-Chair, among a host of other notable names, were also in attendance.
Prof. Gordon Awandare, the Pro Vice Chancellor of the University of Ghana, recommended the efforts of the school’s sports directorate to nurture talents and contribute significantly to the development of sports in Ghana. “We are very proud of how the Sports Directorate has diligently put together programs and training activities for the success of our athletes,” he said.
“We feel very fulfilled that the sports directorate has been placed at the heart of Ghana’s premier university’s 75th anniversary,” Dr. Bella Bello Bitugu said, emphasizing the importance of embedding sports discipline.
“In 2022, several of our athletes were integrated into the Ghana national team to represent the country in various sporting disciplines. We have looked at nurturing raw talents over the years that have gone on to win medals in Ghana’s colors. Talk of Mr. Arhinful, who has joined us today; talk of Azamati and the likes. “We need to continually indicate that quality education can exist through sports,” he added.
On his part, Eva Okeyere noted that sports activities help to build camaraderie amongst colleagues, and can foster a sense of community amongst students and staff. She challenged students to exude resilience and actively participate in the various sports disciplines, as she described it as a rare opportunity.
Augustine Arhinful, a former Black Stars player and alumnus of the University of Ghana, commended and encouraged the university to continue to invest in sports. He also advocated for increased publicity in the university’s sports to assist students in transitioning to professional levels.
As part of the opening ceremony of the UG @75 sporting activities, some sporting equipment was donated to the Sports Directorate while there was a pickleball demonstration. This is among the new games being introduced to the university community.
The sports activities are set to continue throughout the week, with several tailored events throughout the year geared to celebrate the school’s 75th anniversary.
