The 2001 year group of the University Primary School (UPS), now University Basic School (UBS), were on Monday 3rd July (Republic Day) crowned champions of the 5th edition of the UPS Alumni Games, aimed at raising funds for their ‘Alma mater’.
In a keenly contested competition, the 2001 year group dumped opponents like the 2002 and 2003 year groups to make it to the finals of the football competition.
At the finals, they locked horns with 2005 year group, who were the defending champions. Eventually, the game ended in a goalless draw and both teams had to cast their lots in the penalty shoot-out.
The 2001 year group emerged victorious with a 5-4 score line against the defending champions.
Speaking to the media after the finals, Captain of the 2001 year group, Mr. Nii Bortey, congratulated his teammates for their concentration and hard work throughout the tournament.
He also commended organizers of the tournament for their concerted efforts to bring various year groups to this year’s competition. Mr. Bortey was confident in his year group’s ability to defend the title in subsequent years to come.
In the ladies tug-of-peace competition, a competition that generated a lot of interest because of vocal utterances made by captains of the 2003 and 2002 year groups, Ms Grace Gyan and Ms Celetina Asigri, about the ability of their teams. The 2003 year group defeated their counterparts from 2004 and 2002 year groups, to emerge victors in the competition.
The Chairman of the UPS Alumni Games 2017 and CEO of InvestEye Capital Partners Limited, Nana Osae Addo-Dankwa commended the organizers and participating teams for their role in making the competition a success.
“On behalf of all UPS old students, I would like to say a big thank you to everyone who made it a point to spend their quality time at this year’s Alumni Games to help raise funds for our ‘Alma mater’,” Nana Addo-Dankwa said.
He called on old Year Groups to support the worthy course in subsequent years and advised the organizers to also include year groups in the older age brackets adding, “I can only see this competition growing bigger and better in subsequent years”.
The Chairman was supported by a team of Commissioners which comprised: Georgina Mainoo, Dr. Kwabena Frimpong Manso, Daisy Prempeh,, Nat Hanson Addey, Joseph Amarquaye and William Anane all from the 1986 year group.
About 200 old students from 13 year groups participated in this year’s UPS Alumni Games.
Funds raised at the competition will go into an identified project in the school. The UPS Alumni Games was first held in 2012 and has over the years undergone several transformations.