It’s virtually public knowledge that this year’s GUSA GAMES was a disaster for the GIJ sports team & university by extension. Without mincing words, our performance was shambolic and despicable. What made it worse was the constant trolling on social media which gave GIJIANS no breathing space.
I have always been a man who loves to focus on solutions and not dwell too long on whining & complaining. We failed, yes! but how do we right the wrongs of the past? How we do rebuild & come back stronger? These are the questions we should be asking, & I found it really disturbing that the majority of students’ conversation was geared towards trolling the school & giving ‘needless’ statistics as to how many goals we conceded, etc.
I humbly believe the following should be done.
1. Set up a committee of inquiry to look into our distasteful performance- This is standard procedure for solving problems like this. It’s important that we (GIJ SRC(GIJ Sports commission) assemble a committee of astute sporting men and women to ascertain what accounted for our poor performance at the games and verify if some of the allegations being posited by both the playing body and technical team are true and contributed negatively to the outcome we had.
The committee would then be tasked with providing a report which would include recommendations on the way forward. This would be the catalyst to start the rebuilding process because once we know the problems we can now prescribe adequate solutions to them.
2. Engage management in investing time and effort into the Sporting Fraternity of GIJ- Over the years Management has turned a blind eye to improving our sporting potential. There has not been any considerable investment to providing training facilities, sporting equipment, quality resource persons etc to aid in the development of sports in GIJ.
Without these basic sporting amenities, it’s quite laughable for us to expect the team to excel, no! it’s unrealistic to believe so. The Rector showed his commitment to the team by joining them at the games and we applaud him for that but that commitment should also be replicated in the monetary investment that is made in the sector. There should be a partnership between the School & the SRC in seeking investment & raising funds to give our sportsmen & women what they need to excel.
3. Motivating our sportsmen & women- What ‘real’ incentives are meted to our gallant athletes for representing us? Apart from the meals & the opportunity to travel, there is really nothing that gives them enough reason to give their all. We can take a cue from the European Sporting-Academic system where student-athletes get extra credit for taking part in sports and also given scholarships for their efforts. This would go a long way to spur our heroes on to bring laurels.
There is more to be said about this issue but let me drop my pen for now and gather my thoughts again, I hope this piece will serve as a spark to light up the torch of revitalizing sports in GIJ.
Yes, we are a communication-centered university and we lag behind in the sporting pecking order but that is still not enough excuse to put our hands between our thighs and do nothing.
We have amazing potential & if the right moves are made, we will able to rock shoulders with the very best. I end by congratulating our gallant men & women, you answered the call to battle & fought a good fight! Ayekoo!
Long Live GIJ, Long Live Ghana!
Source: Moses Desire Kouyo
The writer is a student of the Ghana Institute of Journalism
