The 9th edition of the Ghana University Sports Association (GUSA) Mini Games came to a successful close last Thursday at the University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA), with the University of Cape Coast (UCC) emerging as the overall champions.
The week-long competition, which began on May 5, 2026, was held under the theme: “Integrating University Sports with Academic Professionalism.”
The event saw fierce competition among student-athletes from public universities across the country in disciplines including football, basketball, volleyball, tennis, badminton, and athletics.
Sponsorship and Patronage
This year’s games were sponsored by Fenaam Industries Limited, producers of Peeva Beverage and Water. The event was held under the distinguished patronage of the Vice-Chancellor of UPSA, Professor John Kwaku Mensah Mawutor.
Medal Table
At the end of the competition, UCC secured the top spot on the medal table with an impressive haul of 21 gold, 18 silver, and 11 bronze medals, totalling 50 medals.
Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) placed second overall, while the University of Education, Winneba (UEW) finished third with 47 medals.
UEW dominated the football competition by winning gold in soccer. They also topped the Athletics Men’s category. However, UCC excelled across several other disciplines, including table tennis, tennis, badminton, Athletics Women, Volleyball Women, and Men’s Basketball.
GUSA President’s Remarks
Speaking at the closing ceremony, the President of GUSA, Shaibu Ibrahim Tanko, praised the management, staff, and students of UPSA for their hospitality and commitment to ensuring a successful tournament.
He noted that the competition was not only about winning medals but also about promoting unity, discipline, leadership, and national integration among students.
Selection for International Events
In an interview after the event, Mr. Tanko explained that the Mini GUSA Games are traditionally used to select athletes for international competitions, such as the FISU Games.
He revealed that the main GUSA Games, originally scheduled to be hosted by UEW, had to be postponed to January next year. He stated that the Mini Games were necessary to keep student-athletes active and competitive throughout the academic year.
“We did not want the students to stay the whole year without sports. You could see the excitement among them. They are happy that they are playing games,” he said.
Challenges and Call for Investment
Mr. Tanko highlighted funding and inadequate sporting infrastructure as major challenges facing university sports in Ghana, particularly for racket games such as badminton and table tennis.
“Sports is very expensive, so if you are doing sports, you really need funding,” he said, calling on the government and stakeholders to invest more in sports infrastructure and athlete development.
He stressed the need for more facilities to support disciplines such as badminton and table tennis, noting that organisers struggled to secure adequate playing spaces during the competition.
Awards
Winners in the various disciplines received medals, while universities that placed first overall were presented with trophies. UCC, as overall champions, received a giant trophy in recognition of their outstanding performance.
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