The School of Sports and Exercise Medicine at UHAS (SSEM-UHAS), on November 4th and 5th, held a scientific workshop for 26 sports coaches, administrators and stakeholders drawn from sports federations and associations across Ghana. The purpose of the workshop, the first of its kind in Ghana, was to conduct a scientific post-mortem on Ghana’s participation in the last Olympic Games held in Tokyo, Japan, in order to articulate a scientific approach towards preparations for future multi-sports events. The goal of this exercise is to enable decision-makers in the Ghanaian sports sector to apply the knowledge gained at this workshop to upcoming opportunities, namely, the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games, 2023 African Games and the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.
Professor Eric K. Ofori, Dean of the School of Sports and Exercise Medicine, emphasized to participants the critical role of sports in the development of Ghana, saying, “Sports is a science; and for sportsmen and women to achieve the needed results that will ensure that Ghana attains an enviable position in sporting competitions, sports must be backed with science.” He stressed that for sports to progress in Ghana and the subregion as a whole, the sector needs to be regulated as a profession. He also said, SSEM-UHAS is prepared to work with the Ministry of Youth and Sports, National Sports Authority and all other stakeholders to achieve this goal.
Professor Ofori informed the gathering that the School of Sports and Exercise Medicine currently has four academic departments, namely, Sports and Exercise Medical Sciences, Sports Psychology and Rehabilitation, Sports Nutrition, and Sports Management and Marketing. He mentioned that the School of Sports and Medicine Exercise is the first of its kind in Africa to run an undergraduate degree in Sports and Exercise Medicine.
The University of Health and Allied Sciences Act specified the establishment of eight Schools and three Institutes. The School of Sports and Exercise Medicine (SSEM) was therefore established a year ago with the aim of training high-quality middle sports professionals to administer sports as exercise and therapy for patients, sportspersons and other clients.
The guest of honour, Mr. Koku Anyidoho, who was Communications Officer during the Atta-Mills government, expressed his appreciation to both past and present Management of UHAS for actualizing the late President’s dream.
Professor Oluwaseun Omotayo of the School of Sports and Exercise Medicine, presented a session on the topic: Success indicators in the production of Olympic-level podium athletes. Professor Oladele Oladipo, session coordinator, led the discussion on the topic: Applied Sports Sciences and Medicine in Management of Elite Athletes Performance.
Other facilitators who graced and made presentations at the workshop were Professor Peter Twumasi, Director-General of the National Sports Authority; Mr. Kwame Amponfi, Deputy Director-General, National Sports Authority; Dr. Enoch Baah, Head of Research, Education and Training at the National Sports Authority; and Mr. Michael Aggrey, Chef De Mission, Tokyo Olympic Games.
Dr. Emmanuel Owusu-Ansah, Technical Advisor to the Minister of Youth and Sports, made a presentation on the topic: Evaluation of Ghana’s participation at the Olympic Games and concerns from athletes and coaches for future performance.
Group activities and presentation sessions were held, that required participants to contribute to specific areas in sports. Collectively, participants came out with a communique. Each participant was presented with a certificate for participation.
Professor Harry Tagbor, Pro-Vice Chancellor, Professor Theophilus Fletcher, Dean of School of Pharmacy and other senior members were also present.
