THRILLS AT FIRST EVER GHAPSA GAMES (PAGE 63, FEB 4, 2010)

The 22nd edition of the Ghana Polytechnic Sports Association (GHAPSA) games has opened at Ho on the theme, “Uniting Polytechnics Through Sports for National Development”.
The week-long games have brought together sportsmen and women from the 10 polytechnics in the country to compete for trophies and medals in soccer, volleyball, basketball, handball, table tennis, tennis, badminton, judo, taekwondo, track and field athletics to be participated by both men and women except chess for only men.
In an opening address, the rector of Ho Polytechnic, Dr Komla Agbeko Dzisi, announced that the government had voted GH¢ 70,000 towards the games and that it demonstrated the full recognition accorded the GHAPSA games by the National Sports Council.
He said two volleyball and basketball courts were to be constructed at the polytechnic and expressed the hope they would go a long way to engage students in fruitful sporting activities.
Opening the games, the Volta Regional Minister, Mr Joseph Amenowode, said the Academicals in tertiary institutions which once served as a platform for grooming sports men for national teams would be revived and supported to enable sports to develop effectively for the country’s benefit.
He said the achievements of the Satellites and the splendid performance of the Black Stars at the recently held African Cup of Nations tournament in Angola should inspire the youth and all Ghanaians to achieve honour and good names for themselves and the state.
Mr Amenowode advised participants to take care of themselves in order to overcome temptations on experimenting with drugs, casual sex, occultism and other vices that might come their way.
“ Let us use this opportunity to break new grounds by making new friends. Sports is essentially about togetherness and oneness. Let us therefore make new friends and establish positive relationships that would eventually work to our mutual benefit,” he said.
The president of GHAPSA, Dr Ben E. Kwesi Prah, announced that Ghana was to host the West Africa Polytechnics Games this year and asked stakeholders in polytechnic sports to streamline their budgets to promote sports to the highest level.
Dr Prah, who is the Rector of Kumasi polytechnic, advised the participants to play the games diligently to become role models in the country and to gain inclusion into various national teams.
The Secretary General of the WAPOGA based in Nigeria, Mr Femi Abdul Rahim, reaffirmed the staging of the West Africa games in the country this year and said countries involved were Ghana, Togo, Benin, Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Cote d’Ivoire, Senegal and Mali.
The Chairman of the GHAPSA technical committee, Mr Ebenezer Mensah advised that nobody should do anything to mar the beauty of the games because the cardinal aim was to compete in a friendly atmosphere.
The Paramount chief of Ziavi Traditional Area, Togbe Kwaku Ayim chaired the function
Present was the Chief Executive Officer of the National Sports Council, Mr Worlanyo Agrah.
Ho Polytechnic women beat Accra Polytechnic women in the first round of the women’s volleyball while their male counterparts beat Wa Polytechnic in the first round of the men’s volleyball division.
The lads from Accra Polytechnic had beaten their counterparts from Ho Polytechnic in the men’s basketball division at the time of going to press.