The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cape Coast (UCC), Prof. Johnson Nyarko Boampong, has congratulated the management, technical team, and the playing body of UCC Youngsters for qualifying for the 2024/2025 Access Bank Division One League for the first time.
Prof. Boampong stated that history had been made as UCC was the only university in Ghana with a team to play in the elite Division One league.
“Your feat has reinforced the position of UCC as the best university in Ghana, West Africa and among the 10 universities in Africa by the Times Higher Education 2024 world universities ranking,” he remarked, insisting that the University would inform the ranking body to include sports in its ranking.
He expressed confidence that the players would be able to give a very good account of themselves at the national level and open doors for talents in the University to gain more attention.
The Vice-Chancellor gave the commendation while receiving a trophy won by UCC Youngsters in the just-ended Central Regional Division Two Middle League.
Vice-Chancellor of UCC, Prof. Johnson Nyarko Boampong receiving the trophy from the chairman of the Sports and Recreation Committee at UCC, Prof. Daniel Apaak
The Chairman of the Sports and Recreation Committee at UCC, Prof. Daniel Apaak, who led the delegation, handed over the trophy to the Vice-Chancellor at a brief ceremony held at the Academic Board Chamber.
Prof. Apaak used the occasion to present to the Vice-Chancellor two trophies won at the Ghana University Sports Association (GUSA) Cross-Country Championship held in Wa, where UCC won both the men's and women's armwrestling.
Additionally, he added that UCC also emerged first in the women's division at the 27th GUSA Cross-Country Competition held at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST).
Continuing, Prof Boampong advised the players to take their talents seriously as they could earn a living in the future when well nurtured apart from gaining national and international recognition.
He gave an assurance that the management of the University would motivate the players to give of their best for the club to succeed in the upcoming Division One league slated for September 2024.
The Vice-Chancellor urged the playing body and the technical team to be more disciplined and display mental toughness during and after their matches.
For his part, Prof. Apaak thanked the management of UCC and all those who responded to the clarion call to push the team to achieve this success and promised that the support base would be well organised to ensure that the team stayed in the Division One League and eventually secure promotion to play in the Ghana Premier League.
He added, “We will use sports to sell the University to the world.”
For her part, the Head of Sports Section, Miss Janet Bekoe, highlighted the enormous benefits of sports, and its significant contribution to the development of nations across the world.
She called for support for more sports disciplines in the University to create more opportunities for students.
Present at the meeting were the Registrar, Mr. Jeff Onyame and other top brass of the University.
Source: Documentation and Information Section-UCC