Third Nogulympics Unites Staff, Forges Bonds Through Sports as Immunology Emerges Victors
The third edition of the Nogulympics, the annual institute games of the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research (NMIMR), has been held at the University of Ghana Athletic Oval, bringing together staff in a vibrant display of sportsmanship, wellness and unity.
Dubbed Nogulympics 2026, this year’s event was held under the theme, “From Awareness to Action: Building a Culture of Health Through Sports.” The games formed part of the Institute’s broader commitment to promoting staff wellbeing beyond the laboratory and office environment, in line with the University’s strategic priority of commitment to faculty and staff.
Speaking at the event, Head of the Department of Immunology and Chair of the Planning Committee, Prof. Kwadwo Asamoah Kusi, detailed that the initiative has evolved from routine staff health screenings into a major sporting event.
He explained that the introduction of sports has substantially enhanced participation and engagement among staff. “Every year we organise health screenings, but adding sports has gone very well. It has increased excitement and strengthened relationships among staff,” he said.
Prof. Kusi added that the games continue to expand, with new activities introduced to deepen participation and enjoyment. This year featured the introduction of additional events, including a 4x4 relay race, aimed at promoting healthy competition, teamwork and togetherness.
According to him, the Nogulympics also serves as an opportunity for staff to step away from their routine duties. “It takes the workforce out of the office and laboratories to fraternise, relax, make new friends and de-stress” he indicated.
The committee chair further disclosed that the success of the event is the result of extensive planning and collaboration, with the committee working for over a month to coordinate logistics, activities and participation, as well as strong support and buy-in from management.
Nine departments and administrative units participated in the games, competing under team identities such as Bacterio Stars (Bacteriology), Outbreak Defenders (Epidemiology), Immune Strikers (Immunology), ParaRangers (Parasitology), Admins (Administration), AniPath Heroes (Animal Experimentation and Clinical Pathology), NutriEM (Nutrition and Electron Microscopy) and Viral Spikes (Virology).
Competitions spanned a range of sporting disciplines, including men’s football, volleyball, table tennis, ladies’ penalty shootout, tug of peace, 100 metres and 200 metres races for both men and women, as well as the 4x100 metres relay.
At the end of the competition, the Immunology team, competing as the Immune Strikers, emerged overall winners, securing the top spot for the third consecutive time. The Virology team (Viral Spikes) placed second, while the Administration team (Admins) came third.
Immunology Team coach, Elaine Boadu, expressed excitement over the victory. “We are always excited to win a trophy, and winning the overall trophy for the third time shows the hard work and discipline the team puts in. It is surreal and we hope to always win,” she said.
The Planning Committee members included Prof. Adwoa Asante-Poku, Mr. Collins Kissi Bamfo and Ms. Yvonne Adjakie Amfo-Tetteh, while the secretariat featured Dr. Prince Asare, Raymond Fatchu, Angela Appiah-Kubi, Fred Addo, Richard Anaman, Obeng Gyimah and Alice Antwiwaa.
The Nogulympics continues to grow as a flagship staff engagement initiative at NMIMR, reinforcing the importance of health, teamwork and institutional cohesion through sport.
