{
  "id": 19871931,
  "title": "Universities told to use sports to attract alumni funding",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/13/universities-told-to-use-sports-to-attract-alumni-funding",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-11-13T21:56:47.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "MyJoyOnline Ghana",
    "slug": "myjoyonline-ghana",
    "url": "https://www.myjoyonline.com/universities-told-to-use-sports-to-attract-alumni-funding/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Dr Kwame Baah Nuakoh, Chairman of the Ghana Football Association Club Licensing Committee, has urged universities across Ghana to leverage sports as a means to engage alumni and secure sustainable funding for sports development. At the inaugural University of Ghana Sports Dialogue, Dr Baah-Nuakoh highlighted that one of the primary challenges universities face is their inability to effectively market sports to students and alumni, thus losing potential financial and corporate support opportunities. Successful institutions globally have utilized sports to foster institutional pride that endures post-graduation. He stressed that the reason behind the scarcity of funding is the lack of alumni investment in university sports. Dr Baah-Nuakoh advocated for universities to embed sports into their culture, thereby fostering a sense of pride and long-lasting connection among students. He emphasized that alumni with strong ties to their alma mater are more inclined to contribute to sports infrastructure, scholarships, and other development projects. According to him, the emphasis should not solely be on winning medals but on cultivating pride through sports, which would subsequently encourage alumni to return to campus and support various facets of university life. Dr Kojo Addae-Mensah, Chief Executive Officer of Databank, urged policymakers to reassess Ghana's educational framework, arguing that the existing structure is impeding the growth of student-athletes. He stated that the current system restricts the development of young talents who could otherwise contribute significantly to sports. He attributed the prolonged funding challenges in Ghanaian sports to deeper educational issues, which have limited opportunities for students to explore and develop their sporting abilities. Mr Addae-Mensah called for a non-partisan review of educational policies to better incorporate sports into the learning process. Dr Austin W. Luguterah, Director of Sports and Wellness at the University of Ghana, stressed that university sports should be seen as an investment in human capital, innovation, and national development rather than just competitions and medals. He pointed out that sports play a crucial role in instilling discipline, teamwork, resilience, and leadership among students while promoting wellness and social inclusion. Effective governance, sustainable partnerships, and innovative financing models are essential to unlocking the full potential of university sports, he added.",
  "summary": "Speaking at the maiden University of Ghana Sports Dialogue on the theme \"Repositioning University Sports as a Driver of Institutional Excellence and National Development,\" Dr Baah-Nuakoh said one of the major challenges facing university sports was the inability of institutions to market sports effectively to students and alumni, thereby missing opportunities to generate financial and corporate…",
  "key_points": [
    "Ghana Football Association urges universities to use sports for alumni funding",
    "Universities struggle to market sports to students and alumni, limiting funding",
    "Embedding sports in university culture can foster alumni pride and support"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}