As part of its 45th anniversary celebrations, the Noguchi Memorial Institute of Medical Research (NMIMR) had held fun sport games where sports team, ‘Immune strikers’ clinched the final trophy after a series of thrilling sports activities.
This was the first time the institute had organized a program of such magnitude, with the theme ‘Unity in Motion: Celebrating Diversity through Sports’.
The games, which took place on 14th June, 2024, at the University of Ghana Athletic Oval, served as an opportunity for the workers to break from their regular work and participate in sporting activities that would contribute to their fitness and overall well-being.
Staff of the NMIMR were made to participate in numerous sporting disciplines, including football, volleyball, athletics, tag of peace, table tennis and sprints.
Some distinct teams from various departments at the institute included Bacterio Heroes, Viral Spikes, Immune Strikers, Outbreak Defenders, Antipath, Parasitology, Nutriem and Admins, to take part in the various sport activities.
Bacterio Heroes were able to beat Viral Spikes to lift the ultimate football trophy at the games, after beating Outbreak defenders and Antipath to reach the final.
Volleyball had Immune Strikers emerge victorious against Outbreak Defenders after winning the first set and losing the second; they managed to defeat them in the third and final set, which ultimately gave them the grand prize.
The games continued with athletics, as the Men’s 100m race was won by Immune Strikers, while in the 200m race, Parasitology came out first, with Admins coming second and Antipath third.
Viral Spikes also won the Women’s 100m race, with Parasitology outmuscling Outbreak Defenders in the final of the ‘tag of peace’, to get the win over them.
Speaking to Univers Sports, the Director of NMIMR, Prof. Dorothy Yeboah-Manu, expressed excitement over the turn out of events, further announcing subsequent events that would take part in the anniversary celebrations.
“Infact, it has been a very very impressive performance. It has been engaging, interactive, so much fun and I think a lot of tension has also been released. People are calling for us to do this often and we hope to do this annually as a form of entertaining ourselves,” she said.
“A lot of this would be happening. Infact, in July, there is going to be an anniversary, big seminar, and more.”
Head at the Immunology department at the institute, Prof. Michael Fokuo-Ofori also elaborated on the events that would succeed the fun games, as part of the institute’s anniversary celebrations.
“This year in October, we would have a series of special talks to showcase what we have done as an institute for the past 45 years, and would climax it with a forum, where we would discuss how finding for research is going to be in the years to come.”
At the end of the entire fun games, Immune Strikers came out as overall winners in the maiden edition, leaving the team hopeful of repeating the victory in the next year.
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Story by: John Foh | univers.ug.edu.gh
