2024 GUSA Games: UCC sets stage to showcase Ghana’s hub for university sporting talent
In many countries, the Olympics represent the pinnacle of athletic achievement, but for most of us, experiencing the thrill of Olympic sports first-hand is a rare privilege. That’s where school sports come in – a launching pad for future stars and a showcase for emerging talent.
The 2024 Ghana Universities Sports Association (GUSA) Games is set to be hosted by the University of Cape Coast from January 3 to 18, 2025.
In its 28th edition, the biennial games is themed “Oguaa Suapon Ɔkɔrɛ,” which is somewhat translated to inspire both athletes and supporters to cheer and celebrate the unified victories together. It resonates with students, athletes, and universities alike, emphasising the importance of teamwork, cooperation, mutual respect, and fair play.”
The Vice-Chancellor of the host, University of Cape Coast, Prof. Johnson Nyarko Boampong, expanded on the theme. He underscored the pivotal role sports play in shaping the minds of individuals and the entire nation.
“Through university sports, we can create a robust framework that integrates athletic prowess with academic achievement, producing well-rounded individuals ready to contribute to the nation’s progress,” he said.
He also added that through university sports, we can create a robust framework that integrates athletic prowess with academic achievement, producing well-rounded individuals ready to contribute to the nation’s progress.
In the remarks of Shaibu Tanko, the President of the Ghana Universities Sports Association (GUSA) at the launch of the games, he expressed gratitude to UCC for hosting the 2024 GUSA Games.
“We believe in your capacity to not only deliver and elevate the GUSA experience but also set a new benchmark for years to come,” Tanko said. “Together, let us make these games a truly remarkable celebration of sportsmanship, talent, and unity—a showcase of what we can achieve when we come together with purpose and passion.”
This year’s edition of the GUSA Games brings together nine participating schools across 13 sporting disciplines. Student-athletes will compete in athletics, badminton, volleyball, football, basketball, hockey, handball, netball, tennis, beach volleyball, goalball, and table tennis.
The historical evolution of GUSA and its impact on university sports in Ghana
The idea to form the Ghana University Sports Association (GUSA) was birthed in 1965, when the University of Ghana successfully held a bilateral game with the University of Ibadan in 1964, helping to birth the national-level games, bringing to existence the Ghana Universities Sports Association Games (GUSA) and Nigeria Universities Sports Association Games (NUGA), respectively.
Later, three universities participated in the maiden West Africa University Games (WAUG), hosted again by the University of Ghana.
Since its inception, the Ghana Universities Sports Association (GUSA) has undergone expansion, transforming from a modest trio of public universities to a network of fifteen member institutions. This growth has been marked by a deliberate effort to embrace diversity, with both public and private universities now represented within the association.
A notable milestone in this journey was the 2013 constitutional amendment, which officially opened GUSA’s doors to private universities, promoting a culture of inclusivity, unity, and healthy competition across Ghana’s higher education landscape.
Remaining vibrant to this day, the Ghana Universities Sports Association (GUSA) continues to drive its mission through two primary objectives: hosting biennial games that showcase the athletic prowess of Ghana’s tertiary institutions and representing the nation in esteemed international competitions, including the Unity Games, West African University Games (WAUG), Federation of African University Sports (FASU), and International University Sports Federation (FISU).
As GUSA expands its reach, the vision remains steadfast: to unite tertiary institutions across Ghana and build a culture where sports are an integral part of student life while promoting institutional collaboration and national pride.
The cradle of Ghana’s international athletic stars
The numbers tell a story in Ghana. The majority of athletes who have represented the country internationally, excluding football and para-games, have been champions of school sports.
Ghana's 4×100 men's relay team have secured a spot at the upcoming Paris Olympics after placing first in the heats of the ongoing World Athletics Relay in the Bahamas.#OnuaTV #OnuaSports pic.twitter.com/B1IKrq6JKW
— #OnuaTV (@OnuaTV) June 25, 2024
This underscores school sports’ vital role in identifying and nurturing athletic talent. When Joseph Paul Amoah stormed on the track of Winneba for GUSA Games 2016 and showed flashes in UDS two years later, it was visible to the blind that he was destined to compete beyond the shores of KNUST.
He grew into an unstoppable force, winning gold medals at the African Games in 2019 and 2024 while also becoming the first Ghanaian to win a medal in the 200m at the Commonwealth Games in 48 years when he finished third behind Trinidad’s Jereem Richards and Great Britain’s Zharnel Hughes in Birmingham 2022.
Among his medal-winning quartet at the 2024 African Games was Benjamin Azamati, who won the 100m on home soil for the University of Ghana in Legon in the GUSA Games 2020. Alongside Amoah, Azamati teamed up with his fellow GUSA 2020 gold medallist, Issac Botsio from the University of Ghana, and Ibrahim Fuseni from KNUST to fly Ghana’s flag higher at the 2024 World Athletics Relay in the Bahamas by qualifying for the Paris 2024 Olympics when they finished second in the Olympic qualifying round 4x100m relay.
The GUSA Games has continued to witness an exodus of stars making waves even before leaving the shores of their campus. A trio of University of Ghana students, James Dadzie, Solomon Kweku Hammond, Saminu Abdul Hammond, and Barnabas Agerh of the University of Developmental Studies, dominated the scenes at the Annual International Invitational Relay event in Benin City, Nigeria.
They won four medals in the 4x100m relay, 4x100m mixed relay, 400m, and 200m. Saminu further participated in the 100m event at the Paris 2024 Olympics and qualified for the semifinals after finishing third behind Italy’s Lamont Marcell Jacobs and Nigeria’s Kayinsola Ajayi in round 1 heat 5.
While it’s exhausting to attempt to name-drop every personality who rose to national fame through the GUSA, let’s say that Ghana’s sports history is filled with athletes who have ‘run’ the gamut, ‘kicked’ their way to success, and ‘spiked’ their competition at the GUSA Games.
From track and field to football and beyond, Ghana’s sporting heroes truly ‘scored’ big time, launching their careers from this very platform. Instead of creating an exhaustive (and exhausting!) list, we’ll focus on celebrating the spirit of excellence that continues to inspire us all.
