Akufo-Addo to establish university college for sports
President Nana Akufo-Addo will in the coming weeks unveil his plans to establish Ghana’s first university college for sports, senior sources at Jubilee have disclosed to Asaase News.
The sports university college will offer a multitude of disciplines in sports development and will serve as the premier sports college for the West African region and beyond. The college may be established as an independent institution or it may also be attached to the University of Ghana (UG), or any other university in the country.
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Under the Akufo-Addo administration, Ghana has seen an unprecedented development in sports facilities across the country, providing facilities to signal a new golden age for sports in the country.
The new university college for sports, “is the President’s way of ensuring that the investments made in preparing Ghana for the All African Games this year is used as a foundation for making Ghana the centre for sports development in Africa, “ a source at the presidency said.
Though plans are still on the drawing board, documents sighted by Asaase News suggest that the multi-million-dollar sports facilities at Borteyman will serve as the main campus for the University College, supported by stadium and related facilities on the main University of Ghana campus, Legon and in several other parts of the country, which were used to the delayed 2023 All African Games from 8 to 23 March 2024.n
This is the first time Ghana has hosted the continental games, with Ghanaian athletes receiving a significantly higher record number of medals. Ghana’s medal tally as of today, Saturday, 23 March 2024 stands at 68 with 19 gold, 29 silver and 20 bronze.
The golden age of sports
The sports university is expected to be inaugurated in the next few months by President Akufo-Addo. Asaase News sources at the Presidency who are familiar with this decision of the President also indicated that there are plans to revive inter-colleges games, from the junior high school (JHS), senior high school (SHS), as well as at the tertiary level.
As part of the plan to create a new golden age for sports development in Ghana using the unparalleled number of sports facilities that have been constructed by the Akufo-Addo government since it took office in January 2017, the government will also be considering the creation of some Economic Community of West Africa States (ECOWAS) games as part of the sports development plan and in focusing attention on the Sports College as the centre of excellence for the entire West African region and beyond.
Beyond, being the centre for developing talents in various sports disciplines, the university college will offer degree programmes that provide students with in-depth knowledge of areas like sports management, sports marketing, sports journalism, sports science and sports medicine.
These programmes will qualify graduates to pursue jobs with sports organisations or teams, sports-related healthcare facilities, media groups or educational institutions.
Sports infrastructure
The Akufo-Addo administration after assuming office, prioritised the construction of sports facilities and the renovation of existing sports infrastructure in the country. As a result, more than one hundred and fifty (150) astro turf pitches have been constructed throughout the country.
Existing stadiums such as the Accra Sports Stadium, Accra, the Baba Yara Sports Stadium, Kumasi, have been renovated. The construction of the University of Ghana sports stadium, which started two decades ago by the Kufour Administration, was abandoned after 2008.
The Akufo-Addo administration picked it up, completing it on time for Accra 2023. A new rugby field has also been built at the University of Ghana, and a world-class cricket field has also been built at Achimota School Cricket Oval Grounds.
