The Sports and Wellness Director of the University of Ghana (UG), Dr. Austin Luguterah, has expressed serious concerns about the negative attitudes exhibited by some officials of the Ghana University Sports Association (GUSA) Games, including referees, match commissioners, and representatives of other universities, toward UG. He also voiced his support for the students who represented UG at the 28th edition of the GUSA Games.
On Tuesday, January 14, UG boycotted their semi-final women’s football match against the University of Education, Winneba (UEW), citing poor officiating. While leaving the Robert Mensah Stadium, an undisclosed UEW supporter allegedly threw a stone that injured a UG player below the eye. In addition, a UEW official reportedly bit UG defender Bridget Sakyi’s hand during an altercation between the two teams.
Speaking to Univers Sports, Dr. Luguterah expressed his shock at these attacks, particularly since UG had forfeited the match to allow UEW to progress to the next stage of the competition in an attempt to de-escalate tensions. He condemned the actions as unsportsmanlike and called on GUSA executives to address such incidents immediately.
“Because fairness wasn’t prevailing, we said, ‘You’re hurting my students. My students, leave the field.’ As we were leaving, an official [from UEW] ran onto the pitch and bit my student. Are we now converting officials into dogs? Why am I here? To protect my students. We decided to leave and said, ‘Take the points.’ Then you started throwing stones. What exactly do you want from UG?”
“Anytime UG is involved, you see people ganging up as if it’s a planned agenda. We are key stakeholders of GUSA, for God’s sake. Am I supposed to sit back while people mistreat my students? At the University of Ghana, we value our students more than the games. With or without GUSA, we have our own programs. This behaviour is appalling. If GUSA doesn’t step up, it risks losing its credibility. It’s high time we said no to the continuous misbehavior towards UG,” he stated passionately.“
This incident raises concerns about the standards of sportsmanship in university competitions, prompting calls for stricter regulations and improved oversight by GUSA. It emphasises the need for officials, such as referees, to undergo rigorous vetting before being entrusted with such responsibilities, with clear consequences for failing to uphold fairness. Their actions have the potential to either elevate or destabilise universities, which could ultimately lead to chaos.
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Story by: Gabriel Tecco Mensah | univers.ug.edu.gh
