UG: Student leaders call for favorable academic calendar for student athletes

Some sports Secretaries of Halls at the University of Ghana have called for a calendar that allows student-athletes to have a balance between their academics and sports.

This comes after the University of Ghana Sports Directorate changed the format used in Inter-Hall Games.

The format for this year’s Inter-hall games was changed to a knockout form which will see halls participate in lesser games due to the short time used in organizing the games.

Speaking on the Sports Express show on Saturday, Elizabeth Sey Hall Sports Secretary Delali Adrah opined that the University of Ghana should put aside a week solely for sports with no academic work to prevent the academics of athletes from clashing with their sporting activities.

“For my view on sports in UG can do better. This format of we just playing some few games, I feel it doesn’t give us the opportunity to scout the best of sports players and sports men on campus.

I remember when we went for the General Council meeting, I raised the issue of sportsmen having to choose their academics and either doing sports.

If there was going to be a way or a situation where, like it happens in “tech” (KNUST) one week on the academic calendar is for only sports.

So, the sports man does not need to choose between his academics and doing sports.

When we have something like that, it makes easier or it makes it much more available for anybody who does sports to be able to come and participate because at that period, there’s nothing like academics, we are all concentrating on sports”

Also speaking on the issue was the Sports Secretary for Distance Education, Saint Andrew who also called for a review of the university’s academic calendar which where some time is set aside for sporting activities during the academic period.

“I think we have to take a critical look at the calendar of the year or the semester. We have to take a look at it again.

This is a situation whereby an athlete will be in a lecture room and have training at the same time.

How is he going to cope? He has the fear of losing lectures and also the fear losing trainings to secure his position at a sporting event.

But if there is a calendar that will favor the athletes or the players, that one, you will know that at this month or week, we are using a fortnight to do the sporting event.

At that time, there is no lectures for the student so they will give their best without any hindrance or fear.”

Former University of Ghana athlete and National 100m record holder, Benjamin Azamati has in the past times also called for the University of Ghana to provide a special academic calendar for student-athletes.