Editorial
Concerns over rising violence among youth in sports
Dear Editor,
I WRITE to express my deep concern about the increasing incidents of violence among young people during sporting activities in our communities. Sports is usually credited with the promotion of unity, discipline, teamwork, and healthy competition. However, it is gradually becoming platforms for fighting, hostility, and destruction.
In recent times, it has become common to witness youth engaging in physical fights during football matches and other sporting events. What begins as friendly competition often ends in chaos, injuries, damaged property, and sometimes the involvement of weapons.
This worrying trend defeats the very purpose of sports and sends a wrong message to younger children who look up to these players as role models.
Several factors contribute to this problem, including poor discipline, lack of proper officiating, excessive pressure to win at all cost, and inadequate guidance from coaches and community leaders. In some cases, spectators also fuel the violence by provoking players and officials instead of encouraging fair play.
If this issue is not addressed urgently, it may discourage talented youth from participating in sports and could also turn sporting grounds into unsafe spaces for families and fans. Sports should build character, not destroy it.
I, therefore call on sports authorities, schools, community leaders, parents, and the National Sports Authority to intensify education on sportsmanship, enforce strict sanctions against violent behaviour, and provide proper training for referees and coaches.
The youth must be taught that losing a game is not a failure, but fighting is.
Let us work together to restore peace, respect, and discipline in youth sports for the benefit of our society.
Eugene Ampiaw, Takoradi
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Dear Editor,
I AM writing to draw your attention to the inadequate street lights in some parts of Wawase, a situation that continues to pose serious concerns for residents.
Street lights play a crucial role in ensuring safety and security within a community. Unfortunately, several areas in Wawase are completely without functioning street lights.
This has made movement at night very difficult and dangerous, especially for workers, students, and traders who return home late.
The lack of proper lighting has also created an enabling environment for criminal activities such as theft and harassment. Residents often live in fear, and some are forced to limit their movements after dark. Additionally, poor visibility increases the risk of road accidents, putting both pedestrians and drivers at risk.
It is concerning that despite the growing population and development in Wawase, this basic infrastructure issue remains unresolved.
I would like to appeal to the relevant authorities, including the local assembly and electricity providers, to urgently address this problem by installing new street lights and repairing faulty ones.
Ensuring adequate street lights will not only improve security but also enhance the overall quality of life for residents in the area.
Gwen Mensah, Agona Swedru
Dear Editor,
FOR some time now, I have been deeply concerned about the state of the Kaneshie footbridge, which has over the years developed cracks, exposing some rusted metal parts and raising safety concerns.
It is, therefore, welcome news for daily users of the facility like myself that a team from the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA), led by the Metropolitan Chief Executive (MCE), visited the facility and announced a temporary closure to allow for maintenance work to be carried out.
While I wish to commend the Assembly for the move, I believe it has been long overdue.
I often find it difficult to understand why, as a country, we sit, wait, and watch for preventable incidents or tragedies to happen before we react. I say this because the issue of the bad state of the Kaneshie footbridge has been one that has been re-echoed by many who use it on a daily basis.
I believe that as the Assembly looks to start the maintenance works on the footbridge, it is also important for it and other Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies (MMDAs) to pay attention to other footbridges across the country that are in a similar state.
The time has come for Ghana, as a country, to be more proactive than reactive.
I will also urge the assemblies to deploy their respective teams to always check on footbridges across the country to ensure that they are in good shape to avoid any tragedy that could lead to the loss of human lives.
From Fafa, Kaneshie
