Speaking at the opening, UHAS Vice Chancellor Professor John Gyapong, said research has shown that a combination of sports and education has significant impact on students’ academic performance by boosting creativity and also improving overall wellbeing: “Students who give equal importance to both education and sports, and maintain a proper balance, do excel in both areas. This is what GUSA advocates.”
Prof. Gyapong, who doubles as Chairman of Vice-Chancellors Ghana (VCG), said that since its establishment in 1965, GUSA has to date contributed significantly to producing a majority of the finest sportsmen and sportswomen for Ghana across all sporting disciplines, even though the association has had its own crippling administrative challenges. He also noted that there is a new dawn for the association as GUSA has been restructured and is now directly under the supervision of VCG for “a more efficient, modernized, vibrant, dynamic and an all-inclusive GUSA” to allow the association to be “more accountable, competitive, visible, brisk and run good governance system.”
The VC therefore urged participants to deliberate and formulate policies devoid of “favouritism, cronyism and nepotism to place the association on an enviable footing, making it the best sporting brand in Ghana and beyond. I want to assure you of the support and readiness of VCG to endorse and approve these policies being developed at this forum when they come to our attention at our next meeting.”
Mr. Ibrahim Shaibu Tanko, GUSA President, in his address to the delegates said although the activities of the reformed GUSA had to be curtailed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Association managed to put in place some structures to keep its operations viable. He informed the delegates about GUSA’s interaction with the Ghana Football Association and the Ghana Olympic Committee, and plans to partner corporate Ghana in further activities.
He also disclosed that GUSA had been mandated to host the maiden Federation of Africa University Sports (FASU) football championship to select some teams to represent Africa at the upcoming University Football World Cup in China; however, after broader consultations, GUSA has handed over that responsibility to the University of Ghana.
Mr. Tanko pleaded with member universities to do well to fulfil their financial obligations in order to enable the running of the association.
