UG defeated defending champions Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) to clinch the gold medal.

The University of Ghana women’s doubles team, represented by Lawrencia Aghoghorbia and Aleona Naa Ankrah, began their campaign in the semi-final stage, where they faced KNUST’s second team (KNUST fielded two teams in the women’s doubles).

The UG team started in the semis because they finished second in the 2022 GUSA Games, hosted by KNUST.

The UG women managed to beat the Kumasi-based side to progress to the grand final, where they faced KNUST’s first team.

KNUST had built a strong presence in women’s tennis doubles, appearing wherever UG was placed, seemingly posing a challenge to their ambitions.

However, with resilience and determination, UG triumphed at UCC’s clubhouse to emerge victorious in the 28th edition of the women’s doubles at the GUSA Games.

In a post-match interview with Citi Sports, Lawrencia Aghoghorbia and Aleona Naa Ankrah shared their journey to the finals and how they overcame all obstacles.

“The tournament was not easy because the KNUST second team we faced was also very good, but we prevailed and met KNUST’s first team in the finals. In the last GUSA Games, we were second to the same team [KNUST], so we were determined to win. If we could be first, why settle for second? That was our motivation for winning,” said Aghoghorbia.

“I wouldn’t say it has been easy, because tennis is a tough game, but through it all, we were able to win the gold medal. It hasn’t been an easy journey, but we made it,” Aleona told Citi Sports.

Reflecting on their preparation for the final match against KNUST, the duo shared their strategy for victory:

“With the help of our coach, who has been with us throughout this journey, we decided to play a tight game and focus on one point at a time. KNUST had beaten us in the last GUSA, so we were a bit tense but very cautious. We made sure to put every ball on the court and account for every point we played,” said Aghoghorbia.

“I’m so excited! Two years ago, the GUSA Games were a different experience. We made it to the final but didn’t win, so beating them this time feels so fulfilling. We did everything possible to take that title from them, and now we’re going to defend it in the coming years,” Aleona said.

Meanwhile, the head coach of the team, Japheth Bagerbaseh, explained how his team prepared and ultimately claimed the gold.

“The preparation was good. Although we had limited time to work with, the most important thing was that we made it work. The ladies were up against one of the top teams, the defending champions, so that made it tricky. However, we revised our game plan, identified their weak points, and exploited them,” he said.

Speaking on what they did right to clinch gold, Coach Japheth emphasised consistency as a key factor.

“In tennis, it’s all about consistency. My main message to them was to be as consistent as possible and make fewer errors. The fewer unforced errors you make, the greater your chance of winning. That was the number one game plan. Once I identified a weakness in the KNUST team, I told them to exploit it.”

The 28th edition of the GUSA Games has been phenomenal so far, since the games began on January 5.

This year’s edition is shaping up to be one of the best, with the games set to conclude on January 18.