Professor Oduro Owusu in a group photo with some members of the Sports Directorate and students
“You know sports is an investment. So we invest heavily in sports and we are happy when we reap results like this. I remember my greatest joy in the year 2000 when my club won continental honours and then followed it up with the Super Cup. An then 2004 went on to win the confederations cup by beating the Pharisees right in front of their home crowd. So I have always seen sports as investment”.
These were the words of the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ghana, Professor Ebenezer Oduro Owusu when the Sports Directorate of the University called on him to present a report on their activities for the academic year.
Professor Oduro Owusu reiterated the commitment by administration to ensuring that the university does not churn out great academicians but also great sports people.
He maintained that investing heavily in sports in the only way the university can realize their objective of producing footballers and athletes who can compete at the top level of global sports.
He admonished the athletes and debators to find a balance between following their passion and studying their books. He encouraged them to treat their academic work with all the seriousness it requires.
“One of the things we are not doing is to try and train people and manage them to get to higher heights. So that when we transfer these sports men and women the university will gain money and the onward transfer clauses slotted in will ensure that we reap the benefits as they move on. So can you imagine having four University of Ghana managed footballers playing for the big clubs in the big leagues and the kind of money we will reap in”.
“Being a sportsman myself, I will always encourage you to take your sports seriously for one simple reason sports men and women remain extremely disciplined and dedicated. If you are able to combine sports and academics, it means you are discipline. All these things that you do, you do it for yourself but do not also forget that you have to excel in your academics, he said.
The University of Ghana participated in four major activities in the academic year and excelled in all competitions.
At the West Africa University Games held in Nigeria, University of Ghana emerged 3rd out of 36 universities with 38 medals garnered. A member of the university’s handball team was adjudged Most Valuable Player at the end of the competition.
UG also participated in the 2018 Pan African Debating University Debate Championship in Tanzania came fourth in the competition. It is first time the university finished in the final four of the contest.
A student from the school’s debat society came first in public speaking at the World University Debate Championship in South Africa.
The Director of Sports at the University of Ghana, Dr. Bella Bello Bitugu expressed gratitude to the Vice Chancellor for his tremendous support and assured him of more success in future competitions.
