The debate team of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science And Technology hoisted the name of the school on the international academic platform as it swept six awards at the Pan African Inter-University Competition.
The competition that lasted for seven days in Nigeria took the form of the British Parliamentary Debate Style where participating schools presents as many teams as possible.
Over seventy teams from twenty five countries across Africa participated with Ghana represented by KNUST, Islamic University and University of Ghana.
Teams from KNUST and Islamic University made it through to the semi-finals stages whiles University of Ghana took an early shower in the preliminary round.
KNUST presented five teams, out of which one failed to make the next round, three qualified to the quarterfinals, and the last group continued to the semi-finals.
The team was just a step away from the finals but could only taste the penultimate because it was kicked out by University of Botwana and the Tswane University from South Africa.
After the keenly contested competition for days, the ‘NYANSAPO’ lads amassed the highest number of laurels though they didn’t win.
Two members of the team, Isaac Nyamekye Boakye, a second year Actuarial Science) and Nicholas Lenin Anane Agyei, a second year Law Student placed 9th and 10th respectively in the top ten debaters in Africa.
Four other members of the team also joined the top five in the public speaking competition at the event.
A record no African country (debate team) has done since the inception of the competition in 2007.
Professor Otoo Ellis’ babies drove home through under the ‘stool’ with their heads held up very high with a record-holding historic performance for KNUST and Ghana.
This is the second time KNUST has participated in the competition after being kicked out at the preliminary stage during last year’s in Pretoria, South Africa.
This year’s performance speaks volumes of the statement the school wants to make in the international world of academic debate competitions.
The just ended competition took place at the University of Calabar in Nigeria and becomes the sixth edition of the pan African Inter-University Debate.
Finalist of the debate competition:
1st – Cape-Town University
2nd – University of Botwana team A
3rd – University of Botwana team B
4th – Tswane University from South Africa
Semi-finalist:
University of Calabar
Islamic University
University of Botwana Team A
University of Botwana Team B
Tswane University
KNUST
Zimbabwe University
Cape-Town University
