UG DEBATE SOCIETY PREPARES AHEAD OF WORLD UNIVERSITIES DEBATE CHAMPIONSHIP
The University of Ghana Debate Society has started preparation ahead of the 2021 Online World Universities Debate Championship scheduled for 7th to 14th July, 2021. The Championship which will be hosted by Debate Korea, will be the first time it will be held virtually as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The World Universities Debating Championship (WUDC) is the largest debating and public speaking competition in the world. First time held in Glasgow in 1981, the WUDC has grown to include over 400 universities and tertiary institutions representing over 90 countries.
Team UG & Preparation
University of Ghana (UG) will present one Debate Team and an Adjudicator at this year’s Championship. The team boasts of the reigning African Public Speaking Champion for 2020, Zempare Wesoamo; Elisha Owusu Akyaw who placed 3rd at the 2019 Pan African Universities Debate Championship (PAUDC) hosted by Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology and represented UG at the 2020 WUDC in Bangkok, Thailand; and Abdul Fattaw who also participated in the 2019 and 2020 PAUDC Championships.
The students though in levels 200 and 300, have gained good experience and exposure since joining the Debate Society. The team started their training virtually for the past couple of weeks due to the modular system being run at UG but have moved into residential camping to finalise their preparation.
UG Anticipates Three in a Row
UG is the world defending champion of the Public Speaking Category for the past two editions. A feat achieved in Cape Town, South Africa in 2019 and Bangkok, Thailand in 2020 by Jeremiah Kobby Sekyi and Kweku Apreku Agyepong respectively. It is the expectation and wish of every stakeholder at UG for the team to continue this impressive feat at the world championship and make it three in a row.
UG Coach Confident of Improving Debate Performance
Former UG Debate Society President and Coach of the Team, Mr. Lawrence Nii Kotey Neequaye acknowledged the work at hand and the need to push more in the Debate category;
“We have had some weeks of good training virtually to get the team in a good shape for this year’s championship. We understand fully the need to do more in the Debate category as well as maintain our good form in Public Speaking. The residential camping will offer the team the opportunity to learn more, build team cohesion and also engage with some alumni of the Debate Society”
The Sports Directorate has a firm belief in the capabilities of Team UG and we are assured they will even represent the university better at this year’s Championship.