The Great Debaters of The University of Ghana

  Just a glance at the title of this article might direct you to the movie "Great Debaters" acted by Denzel Washington. A classic drama type, this movie talks about Melvin B. Tolson, a Professor at Wiley College in Texas who inspired some young students to form a debate team in 1935 and went ahead to challenge Harvard at the national championship. 

  This article is not about the movie but about the great debaters of our time, the great debaters from the University of Ghana who against all odds went into a competition and came back victorious just like a spartan is sent into the forest to comeback a matured adult. 

  Debate at the University of Ghana has always been a core discipline at the Sports Directorate. It has always been part of the Inter-hall Games and has always been one of the disciplines selected for Bilateral games between University of Ibadan and University of Ghana. 

  This year, the University of Ghana who was invited to participate in the 4th Pan African University Debate Championship which was held from the 8th to 17th December in South Africa came back home as the next representative for West Africa Universities in the upcoming World University debate Championship in India.

  The Debate team led by the Registrar J. M. Budu and the Sports Director Dr. Emmanuel Owusu-Ansah was made up of Joyce Danso and Antonio Edem Asinyo. The championship saw 15 countries and 774 (67 teams were from South Africa) taking part in the tournament. The University of Ghana took part in both Debate and Public Speaking Championships. At the end of the championship, Joyce Danso was adjudged the 4th best public Speaker in Africa whiles Antonio Edem Asinyo a level 300 student was adjudged the Best Speaker for Country (Ghana) and the 2nd Best public Speaker in Africa.

  Antonio Edem Asinyo was happy of their results as being a young team in the championship. With their achievement, they will represent West African Universities in the World's Debate Championship next year in India. Antonio also wishes Debate could be integrated into the GUSA Games and thus allow public universities in Ghana to showcase their best and challenge other schools at the world stage.