The Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research (NMIMR) on April 30, 2026, held the third edition of its annual inter-departmental sports competition at the Athletic Oval, University of Ghana. The initiative, organised by the Welfare Committee in collaboration with Management, aimed to promote staff well-being, teamwork and unity across the Institute.
The event brought together staff from the Institute’s eight research departments as well as Administration, all competing in a spirit of camaraderie and friendly rivalry. The Director of NMIMR, Prof. Dorothy Yeboah-Manu, officially declared the games open with a ceremonial kick-off and encouraged participants to give off their best while expressing the hope that the most deserving department would emerge victorious.
Director of NMIMR, Prof. Dorothy Yeboah-Manu, performing the ceremonial kick-off to officially open the 2026 inter-departmental sports competition.
Speaking in his capacity as Chair of the Planning Committee, Prof. Kwadwo Asamoah Kusi, Head of the Department of Immunology, explained that the Nogulympics has evolved from routine staff health screenings into a major sporting event. He noted that the introduction of sports has significantly increased staff participation, strengthened relationships and created opportunities for interaction beyond the laboratory and office environment, while also promoting physical well-being and stress relief.
He further indicated that this year’s event required over a month of intensive planning and coordination of logistics and activities. According to him, the success of the competition was largely due to strong support from Management as well as the introduction of new activities such as the relay race, which were designed to enhance teamwork, inclusiveness and institutional cohesion.
The competition featured a wide range of sporting activities including football, volleyball, tennis, athletics, ladies’ penalty shoot-outs and tug of war. Football teams registered 18 participants each, comprising the starting eleven, substitutes and technical support staff, while volleyball teams had 10 participants each. Tennis involved two representatives per department, and the ladies’ penalty shoot-out featured six participants per team. Tug of war saw 11 participants per department, while the athletics events included the 100m and 200m races for both male and female athletes, as well as the 4x100m relay, which highlighted coordination, speed and teamwork.
Participants competing in various sporting activities including football, volleyball, tennis, basketball, athletics, ladies’ penalty shoot-outs, relay races and tug of war during the 2026 NMIMR inter-departmental sports competition.
Departments proudly represented their identities on the field, with Immunology known as the “Immune Strikers,” Virology as the “Viral Spikes,” Parasitology as the “ParaRangers,” Animal Experimentation and Clinical Pathology as “AniPath,” Bacteriology as “Bacteriostars,” Nutrition and Electron Microscopy (EM) as “NutriEM,” Epidemiology as “Outbreak Defenders,” and Administration as “Admins.” All teams demonstrated strong competitive spirit, teamwork and mutual support, creating a vibrant atmosphere of excitement and institutional pride throughout the day.
At the end of the competition, the Department of Immunology emerged overall winners with 17 points after outstanding performances across the various events. Virology placed second with 12 points, while Administration secured third position with 9 points. All participating teams delivered commendable performances, contributing to the success and competitive spirit of the event.
Members of the Immunology Department celebrating their victory after emerging overall winners of the competition.
Prof. Dorothy Yeboah-Manu commended the Welfare Committee for the successful organisation of the competition and expressed appreciation to all participants for their enthusiastic involvement. She reiterated that such initiatives remain important in strengthening teamwork, promoting staff well-being and fostering a healthy and engaging work environment.
The annual inter-departmental sports competition continues to serve as a key platform for staff engagement and remains an important part of NMIMR’s efforts to build a vibrant, inclusive and collaborative institutional culture.
Other highlights from the 2026 NMIMR inter-departmental sports competition.
