The facility, developed in collaboration with Chances Hotel, a hospitality company in Ho, would serve as a practical arena for studies for the School, which was established three years ago.

Prof. Lydia Aziato, Vice-Chancellor of the University, led stakeholders after a brief ceremony to commission and inspect an overstocked modern gym, lecture all and fitness rooms at the hotel, refurbished and repurposed for the School through a Memorandum of Understanding.

Streamlining training and holistic fitness, the facility by the health dedicated training and research institution is expected to support the development of the country sports and performance sectors.

The Vice Chancellor celebrated the collaboration, and reiterated the premium on the sports and exercise medicine school, saying that its regularisation was expected to “hold the university together.”

“It is my personal vision to see it as the highest IGF earner for the University. The era of sports is good,” she remarked.

Prof. Aziato said the fledgling University “would need a state of the art sports facility to attract people to the Region and the University,” and that its students were taking off in some local and national competitions.

She charged the School to build upon the support to establish more collaboration with sporting establishments, including teams and franchises to enhance experience.

The VC said client service at the facility should be digitised to attract and better serve the present elitist environment, and also called for the incorporation of technology to provide telemedicine services.

Prof Harry Tagbor, Pro Vice Chancellor, said the facilities would receive the needed management attention to sustain efforts to enhance the hospitality experience in the Region and the nation as a whole.

The fitness clinic facility would provide weight stations, swimming pools, and suana baths in addition to a wide variety of workout equipment.

It would also have a dietary prescriptions and counselling unit, and has been prepared to take in referrals from health facilities for muscular and skeletal related conditions, among others that require fitness care.

Services would include exercise stress test, executive stress tests, management and nutritional education, and dietary planning.

There would also be hydro exercises, home-based geriatric management exercises, and insomnia management with exercise, all available to the public and sports men and women, while also targeting corporate groups and event participants.

Prof Eric Ofori, Dean of the School of Sports and Exercise Medicine, said the facility would help train graduate sports and exercise scientists who should be able to provide treatment for people with health issues, and also train sports men and women to enhance their performance.

He said graduates should be able to manage pitch-side injuries and accidents, and also sporting facilities, and undertake sports marketing, among other related practices.

Mr Emmanuel Chance, owner of the hotel, said the collaboration was sure to affect tourism development in the Region, and also the outlook of his establishment.

Divine Bosson, Municipal Chief Executive for Ho, said the development had great support within the innovative oxygen city project the Region was being built upon, and therefore the Assembly would add to efforts to provide a befitting sports complex for the University.

He said such support was in line with the Government’s policy to promote fitness as a barrier against ill-health, and would be prioritised.

The MCE commended the hotel owner and said his support showed quality statesmanship.