The Vice-Chancellor of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Kumasi Professor (Mrs.) Rita Akosua Dickson has appealed to the Minister for Sports and Recreation, Kofi Iddie Adams for more investment in sports infrastructure at the University, including the completion of ongoing projects such as the hockey pitch and tennis facilities.

She made this call during the Minister’s courtesy call on her at the Council Chamber. She urged the Minister to consider including KNUST in the 2026 national budget as part of its legacy investment in sports development.

The Vice-Chancellor welcoming the Minister, reiterated the University’s holistic approach to education, which prioritizes both academic and extracurricular development. “At KNUST, we say the future is in our hands. It is not enough to train graduates only for the job market we must ensure they are healthy, balanced individuals who contribute meaningfully to society. Sports plays a central role in that vision,” she remarked.

Speaking on the purpose of the visit, the Provost of the College of Health Sciences Professor Christian Agyare said the Minister was attending the 2025 Sports Medicine Conference as the keynote speaker, hence the decision to pay a courtesy call on the Vice-Chancellor. 

He added that the conference which began as a small departmental effort has grown into an initiative with national relevance “The theme we are discussing for the conference: Elevating Sports Medicine standards in Ghana is both timely and essential to the future of sports development in Ghana,” he said.

Mr. Adams praised KNUST for leading the way in integrating sports medicine into higher education.

He stressed that sports are no longer about raw talent but requires scientific backing to optimize performance and protect athletes’ well-being.

“Globally, sports have evolved, and we cannot continue to approach it the old way. We must invest in science, training and policy to support athletes’ health and performance at every level,” he emphasized. ‘‘Just as we have legislation guiding pharmacy practice, we need frameworks to regulate and empower sports medicine professionals so that their expertise benefits the nation,” the Minister said.

He further pledged his ministry’s support for policies that would institutionalize sports medicine, adding that collaborations with academia were crucial to building a robust ecosystem.