University of Ghana to Host Maiden Invitational Athletics Championship

The University of Ghana is set to stage the first-ever Invitational Athletics Championship from May 17 to 21, 2026, in a move aimed at enhancing competitive sports at the tertiary level.

Organised by the university’s Sports and Wellness Directorate and launched on April 30, the event will be held at the UG Sports Stadium and is expected to attract some of the nation’s most talented student-athletes.

Eight institutions have confirmed their participation in the inaugural competition, including the Colleges of Education and Sports at UG, University of Education, Winneba, Tamale Technical University, Ho Technical University and Accra College of Education.

At the launch, the Director of the Sports and Wellness Directorate, Dr Austin Luguterah, explained that the championship was created to bridge a long-standing gap in Ghana’s sports ecosystem by bringing together both technical and traditional universities on one competitive platform.

“You’d always realize that there is a gap in sports in the country. There has never been a space where technical and traditional universities meet, so we thought of making the move and that’s the idea,” he said.

“We are placing Ghana sports ahead to showcase talent and see the best of every student athlete. We also want this platform to be recognized by World Athletics because it feeds into the national federation. Apart from athletics, we are planning to roll in other activities,” he added.

Dr Luguterah expressed confidence that the initiative would help nurture future national athletes by giving participants exposure and opportunities to advance to higher levels of competition.

The championship is also expected to support tourism promotion, with Ghana Tourism Development Company Limited partnering organisers to increase visibility.

The Chief Executive Officer of GTDC, Prof Mensah, noted that the event provides a platform to promote Ghana, especially if it draws international competitors.

“This is also a tourism program involving sports. Particularly when there are international athletes participating, we need to showcase what we have and what the country represents,” he said.

“This is why GTDC is coming in to provide support. We have a double-decker iconic bus, and each team will be paraded through the streets of Accra to serve as a promotional tool for people to know about the event,” he added.

With increasing focus on sports development and talent identification, organisers say the championship will offer a critical pathway for student-athletes aspiring to reach elite levels.

They also believe the event could grow into a major fixture on Ghana’s athletics calendar, strengthening the connection between grassroots sports and national representation while encouraging collaboration among tertiary institutions.