CAPE COAST, April 7, 2025 — The vibrant city of Cape Coast came alive on Monday as the much-anticipated 2025 edition of the Ghana Technical Universities Sports Association (GHATUSA) Games officially kicked off at the Cape Coast Sports Stadium. The event was graced by high-profile dignitaries, including the Minister for Sports and Recreation, Hon. Kofi Iddie Adams, who delivered a stirring keynote address and officially declared the Games open.
In his address, Hon. Adams conveyed warm greetings from His Excellency John Dramani Mahama, President of the Republic of Ghana, affirming the President’s unwavering commitment to using sports as a tool for national unity, youth empowerment, and economic transformation.
He applauded GHATUSA for its sustained excellence in nurturing sports talents across Ghana’s technical universities, describing the Games as “a critical pipeline for talent identification and preparation” that has historically contributed to Ghana’s participation in international tournaments like the African Games and the Olympics.
Touching on the broader challenges facing the sports sector—including inadequate infrastructure, limited grassroots development, and funding constraints—Hon. Adams outlined key government interventions: strategic infrastructure modernization, sustainable funding mechanisms, and enhanced governance and transparency across the sports ecosystem.
A pivotal part of the government’s sports reform, he noted, is the establishment of a School Sports Agency, which will streamline and support major school sports programs nationwide—from the basic to tertiary levels, including GHATUSA.
The Minister also revealed that national stadia in Accra, Kumasi, Cape Coast, and Sekondi will be rehabilitated and upgraded, with a special emphasis on completing abandoned sports projects. He further announced a comprehensive review of the Sports Act, 2016 (Act 934) and the development of a National Sports Policy that will promote long-term strategic planning and continuity across administrations.
A major highlight of the speech was the announcement to elevate the National Sports College in Winneba into a fully-fledged Sports University, envisioned as a center for excellence in sports science, management, and technical training. Technical Universities across Ghana will play a pivotal role in supporting this transformation.
In linking sports to sustainable employment, Hon. Adams disclosed plans to collaborate with the Security Services to reserve recruitment slots for outstanding athletes identified through competitions like GHATUSA. This initiative aims to address youth unemployment while strengthening Ghana’s competitive edge internationally.
He encouraged all athletes present to give their best, emphasizing, “You are the future of Ghanaian sports, and your efforts today will inspire generations to come.”
The Minister concluded by calling on both public and private corporate partners to invest in grassroots sports events like GHATUSA, describing such sponsorships as “vital to cultivating the talent that will ultimately uplift Ghanaian sports at all levels.”
The opening ceremony was attended by a distinguished gathering of dignitaries and academic leaders from Ghana’s Technical Universities. These included Rev. Prof. John Frank Eshun (Vice-Chancellor, TTU), Sir Prof. Elias N. K. Sowley (Vice-Chancellor, DHLTU), Prof. Kwadwo Adinkrah-Appiah (Vice-Chancellor, STU), Prof. Ben Quarshie Honyenuga (Vice-Chancellor, HTU), Prof. Samuel E. Alnaa (Vice-Chancellor, BTU), Prof. Gabriel Dwomoh (Vice-Chancellor, KTU), Prof. Amevi Acakpovi (Vice-Chancellor, ATU), Prof. John Owusu (Vice-Chancellor, KsTU), Prof. Bashiru Imoro Ibn Saeed (Vice-Chancellor, TaTU), Prof. Kwaku Ayim A. Boakye (Vice-Chancellor, CCTU), Mr. Joseph Mensah Oti-Asirifi (Executive Secretary, VCTU-G), and Prof. Atepor, the Local Organizing Committee Chair.
