November 20, 2022, Accra-Ghana
One of Ghana’s most prominent Universities, Kumasi Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, hosted the multi-sport event from 4 to November 19 2022 where badminton talents from eight Ghanaian universities got to compete in team and individual events of the Ghana University Games (GUSA). Growing the sport in an upward growth of thirty per cent more universities taking part in the Sports at the GUSA Games compared to the last held Edition in Accra. Badminton sport awards 18 different categories of gold, silver, and bronze medals at all Multi Sports Competitions.
The 27th Edition of the GUSA Games was back because of the COVID-19 outbreak and its subsequent rescheduling. The major university multi-sport event, organized by GUSA, fielded the most active racket sport at the University Games. The University of Ghana, Accra, hosted the last university sports event.
Eight noble public Universities took part in the Games, with Universities like the University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA), the University of Ghana (UG), Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), University of Education, Winneba.
(UEW), Akenten Appiah-Menka University of Skills Training and Entrepreneurial Development (AMMUSTED), the University of Business and Integrated Development Studies (UBIDS), WA, the University of Cape Coast (UCC) and the University of Development Studies (UDS). These Universities took part in the Mix Team and Individual Events, with UEW topping the medal table with 6 Gold, 3 Silver and one bronze, whilst KNUST placed second place with 2 Silver medals, UG placed third with 1 Silver and four bronze whilst UCC was placed fourth with one bronze medal. AMMUSTED, UDS, UBIS and UPSA will look towards winning an award in the next edition, rekindling the success of fledgling players in the Competition.
Badminton, a crucial part of the GUSA Games event since the ’80s
As the Governing Body of Badminton in Ghana and representing every member of the Badminton Community in Ghana, we provided a well-organized officiating, governed, compliant, and inclusive global sport towards the Games.
With 23 National Accredited Technical Officials at the Games, GUSA and Ghana Badminton have worked closely for years, having been official partners since the late 80s, Participants, stakeholders and shared interest groups. The KNUST University Community has expressed positive feelings about Badminton being a compulsory sport at the biannual GUSA Games.
GUSA is excited to see Badminton, as always, part of the African University Games recently held in Kenya and the World University Games coming off in Chengdu, China 2023, as one of the core sports on the programme. Badminton was one of the 9 Sports at the GUSA University Games, contributing to the around 1000 students representing 14 Public universities. The Badminton Competition comprised the standard format of Mix team and Individual Events and took place from 7 to November 15, 2022.
KNUST Sports Directorate and Kumasi Technical Institute, an experienced host
The KNUST Sports Directorate and the official venue, KTI School, where academic badminton players compete for the universities they represented, was the sports centre at the KTI Sports Auditorium, a necessary Badminton event centre since the 1970s, where KNUST and GUSA officials remarked as one of the most prominent technical Schools in Kumasi. The over 3000 students watch from the side-lines of the Hall each day chanting and wavering their best and newfound athletes notable for being role models for them. It was fun to watch them playing and supporting the team.
An unforgettable experience
With 31% of participating student-athletes have come from our Badminton in the Schools Project-a project launched in 2018 to unearth and support the growth of sports in Schools across the country and currently covering 72% of all school population in Ghana. The national federation was excited to see the centre of excellence stars from “not too popular” Universities exhibit a can-do spirit leading to a lot of learning and aspiration with fond memories of the event in Kumasi.
Want to learn more about the 2022 GUSA University Games? Then click here.
ENDS
About Ghana Badminton
Founded in 1962, Ghana Badminton is the governing body of Badminton in Ghana, responsible for representing, coordinating, administering, marketing and developing the sport in close cooperation with our authorized and regulated Government Authority and Development partners.
As the national sports governing body for the Olympic Sport of Badminton, we do this by representing every member of the Badminton Community at the government level by providing a well-governed, compliant, and inclusive global sport and implementing a strategic plan for the national sport with our implementation partners at the national and international levels.
With Olympic success at the heart of our ambitions, we are investing our knowledge and expertise in rebuilding a quality future for our sport by strengthening and developing the domestic game and developing talent to achieve success on the international stage, inspiring the next generation of players and local fans and corporate community in line with the global vision of giving every child a chance to play for life.
We do this by leading and inspiring all stakeholders; delivering entertainment through exciting events to drive fan experience; and creating innovative, impactful, sustainable development initiatives.
With millions of Ghanaians playing yearly, Badminton is looking forward to being the nation’s favourite racket sport by 2024. We want to inspire everyone to play more, support louder and love Badminton, from this generation to the next, worthy of the world’s fastest sport.
Get Involved!
Websites: www.ghanabadminton.org
The programme graduated 273 Physical Education Teachers from 198 Schools nationwide in 2017, mastering a whopping coverage of schools nationwide. The current Board launched the second phase of the Mission 2025 Plan in 2022, focussing on sustaining and building long-term growth is getting schools to embrace badminton.
Ghana Badminton, President shares, “We are enthralled by our enhanced development initiatives across technical and coaching education spanning from a school’s project we implemented promoting a thriving sporting system of inspiring positive change thus creating most tremendous decade success of extraordinary sporting achievement by the end of 2027.
In 2019, Cindy Etornam Tornyenyor continued and represented the Greater Accra Region at the National Schools and Colleges, Bolgatanga sports and achieved podium results. Tornyenyor laments her best role model is to be in the World’s top 50 ranked players by 2027 from now and make Ghana Badminton proud again in the Women’s Single and Women’s Double events.
Nantuo Prospera celebrates a point at the African Championship
His many awards and public recognitions even during his university days reveal that this was a distinguished sports career of considerable import! His enthusiasm for that next school project was infectious, and a huge component of his success at Ghana Badminton.
Ebenezer Affaidu was Badminton. He will always be Badminton. What a man! What a spirit! What a joyous, mighty champion! We jointly say, “Da Yie. Onyankopɔn mfa wo kra nsie yie” you have done your part and – will be missed by many, but never will you be forgotten by those who were fortunate enough to have known him!
