The Ghana Institute of
Journalism (GIJ) would soon join the Ghana University Sports Association (GUSA)
and participate in the GUSA games.
The sports commissioner
of GIJ, Mr. Cyrus Afful confirmed this in an interview at Burma Camp. Speaking
in an interview, Mr. Afful said that the failure of the institute to participate
in the GUSA games is its inability to secure the requisite facilities.
“There is a basic
requirement which is to secure a standard pitch. A standard pitch should have a
bench, should be more than average in terms of quality. Am talking about some good
grass, well lined with flags and then at least it should be a comfortable place
to play.” He noted.
According to him, GIJ
lacks all these facilities which would enable them to participate in the GUSA
games.
He also stated that as
a result of this, the GIJ sports executive committee members are negotiating
with Osu PRESEC School for their pitch as their home grounds.
“We are still working
on it. We are negotiating with Osu PRESEC School where we had our recent games
which had a floodlight and some to show. So we will contact management and then
see how far we can go; as in coming to agreement with Osu PRRESEC; so that we
register their pitch as our home pitch and the we will look at migrating to the
GUSA games.” He emphasized.
Mr. Afful also spoke on
some of the challenges the commission is facing in helping develop GIJ sports.
He said there are several setbacks in GIJ sports but the major setback is lack
of funding.
“GIJ sport is facing
several setbacks. First of all, the students’ inclination to sport is a little
bit problematic; as the school is geared towards academic theories and then
sport has not been given the necessary attention. But the major challenge apart
from students’ inclination to sport is lack of funding.” He stated.
Finally, Mr. Afful pointed
out the plans of the executives to the institute for semester. According to
him, they are planning to play Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and
Technology (KNUST) next year and also see how best they can participate
competitively in the all inter universities games which will be hosted by
Maritime University in 2016.
GIJ has not been
participating in the GUSA games since its establishment in 1959 by the first
president of the Republic of Ghana Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah.