Sports
Alumni and Ghana’s sports development
Schools have become targets for almost every sports federation in Ghana that aims to broaden the base of their various sports disciplines.
Even football, which is believed to have the biggest numbers in terms of followership, is still hovering around the schools, combing every corner to identify and harness new talent at tender ages.
Phrases like ‘Catch them young’ have perfectly been coined to give credence to this practice.
Boxing, athletics and others follow similar trends; going lower than talent identification at the Senior High School level.
That speaks of the importance of this struggle to look for talented performers at their very youthful stages with the hope of grooming them to become world beaters.
Sadly, these young chaps develop up to a certain level, only for the progress to be curbed dues to factors like nonexistence of infrastructure.
Once again, football leads the pack of sports disciplines with the largest infrastructure. Perhaps, it may be so because in our part of the world, all one needs to show prowess in football is an open space.
But it is not so with the others.
Those that suffer most in this regard are the disciplines considered indoor sport.
In the advanced countries, disciplines like netball, handball, volleyball, judo, taekwondo, badminton, basketball, table tennis and others are considered indoor sports; and they are mostly played within.
This is different in our part of the world. In Ghana, playing these sports indoors are considered luxury because there are very few facilities to accommodate them.
Aware of this challenge, most of the sports courts in the country have been constructed in such a manner that can accommodate more than one discipline.
It is common, therefore, to see one court with markings for tennis, volleyball, handball and basketball. The aim is to use them as a multi-sport facility and be used from morning to evening.
The story about the circumstances under which the Aburi Girls SHS basketball team plays was a pathetic one. This is a school with a good history in basketball, dating back to the 2000s.
However, it lacks a good basketball court, compelling the children to play on a poor surface car park which exposes the children to varying degrees of injuries.
The unfortunate situation facing such federations eventually hinders the development of these rising stars because they lack the facilities to be active.
Madam Aurora Commodore-Toppar, a basketball enthusiast and Treasurer of the Ghana Basketball Federation (GBF) came through for the Aburi Girls School basketball team last weekend, donating an amount of Gh₵100,000 to support the construction of a multi-purpose sports court for the school.
The money would finance the initial phase of the project, which is the construction of the court.
The second phase of the project, which is the sitting area, is expected to be financed with proceeds from a fundraising exercise launched by the basketball aficionado.
Clearly, subsequent governments have all in a way reneged on that responsibility to provide adequate infrastructure for the respective sports to thrive.
But with that support not forthcoming, especially with the least financed sports, the support from corporate institutions and individuals like Madam Commodore-Toppar remains key in the sports development agenda.
Through the effort of Madam Commodore-Toppar supported by her 2000 year group, ABUGISS will boast of a modern sports court. This is an example the various year groups of the schools can follow in addition to the provision of boreholes and other facilities
By Andrew Nortey
Sports
Black Starlets arrives in Morocco on U-17 AFCON mission …FA boss charges team to make Ghana proud
The Black Starlets, the national U-17 male team, have safely arrived in Casablanca ahead of the 2026 U-17 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
The team departed Accra on Wednesday, travelling with a 35-man contingent made up of 21 players and 14 officials, all focused on delivering a strong campaign on the continental stage.
They completed a smooth five-hour flight to Morocco, where final preparations will continue before the tournament kicks off.
The technical team is expected to fine-tune tactics and build cohesion among the squad as they gear up for the competition.
The Ghana Football Association (GFA) President, Mr Kurt Edwin Simeon-Okraku, was present at the Accra International Airport to bid farewell to the team.
Speaking during a brief farewell at the Airport, the FA President urged the team to carry a ‘never say die’ spirit into the competition.
President Simeon-Okraku emphasised the importance of mental strength and unity, particularly in difficult moments during matches. His message was inspired by the team’s recent friendly encounters against Cote d’Ivoire, where they bounced back strongly after an initial defeat.
“I’m very happy that when you lost to Cote d’Ivoire in your first game during your friendly matches, you were able to bounce back—not only to dominate but to outscore them in the second game,” he said. “I read a lot of meaning into that, and I want all of you to keep that in your heads—that, it’s not over until it’s all over,” he added.
The FA president stressed that the ability to respond positively to setbacks would be crucial in a tournament as competitive as the AFCON.
He encouraged the players to stay united and support one another when the pressure intensifies on the continental stage.
“When the chips are down, that’s when we need to hold each other together,” Okraku added. “So go out there and make Ghana proud.”
Ghana will compete in Group D alongside Algeria, Senegal, and South Africa, with their opening match scheduled for Thursday, May 14.
Twenty-three (23) players have been called up for this month’s international friendly against Mexico.
The squad is composed of star players from the domestic league and European leagues who are closely monitored by Coach Carlos Queiroz, as well as U-23 players who will soon represent Ghana in the upcoming Olympic Games qualifiers.
Notable names include Majeed Ashimeru, Felix Afena-Gyan, Razak Simpson, and Birmingham City’s Ibrahim Osman.
Ashimeru returns to action after a long spell on the sidelines due to a muscle injury that limited his appearances at both club and national level.
Also in the team is Felix Afena-Gyan, whose last appearance for Ghana was in May last year when he featured against Trinidad and Tobago in the Unity Cup in London.
Barcelona B’s Abdul Aziz Issah, Ebenezer Annan of AS Saint-Étienne, Ibrahim Osman of Birmingham City, and Paul Reverson of Ajax FC have also been included in the squad.
Midfielder Salim Adams, one of the key players for Ghana Premier League leaders Medeama SC, leads the group of home-based players.
Others are Heart of Lions’ Ebenezer Abban, Ebenezer Adade of Dreams FC, and Nations FC captain Razak Simpson. Ghana will travel to Mexico for the international friendly on Friday, May 22, 2026.
