Use scholarships to recruit more athletes- Ali Jarra

Former Ghana and Accra Hearts goalkeeper, Ali Jarra, has added his voice to the discussions over Team Ghana’s abysmal performance at the London 2012 Olympic Games, advocating the re-introduction of the scholarship scheme to help train athletes.

Speaking in an exclusive interview, Ali Jarra, the current Head Coach of the Ghana National Amputee Football Team, the Black Challenge, explained that the scheme would offer young sports men and women the opportunity to train in well built training facilities in educational institutions in other countries.

“Since we do not have the facilities here and there is no indication of plans to build them soon, it would be better to offer scholarships to athletes to attend schools that have such facilities to give then the exposure to be put at the nation’s disposal,” he said.

He asked all stakeholders to refrain from apportioning blame, as has been the case in the past, but rather suggest ways of improving on what is available now, ‘since criticism without suggestion leaves us at the same place.’

The 1993 National Under-17 World Cup silver medalist was of the view that, since some of the best athletes we have are all taking advantage of other programmes in the developed world, a channel should be created to train up-and-coming ones in the same manner to compete for Ghana at international events like the Olympics.

He mentioned Aziz Zakari, the Vida Anim, Margaret Simpson and Ignatius Gaisah as some of the beneficiaries of better facilities elsewhere. “They took advantage of those facilities and have been Ghana’s hopes in most of the field of athletics; why not open doors for others through the scholarship scheme for the nation’s benefit?,” he asked.

He also advised the sports authorities to consider putting a plan in place to build facilities to train young sports enthusiasts at their tender ages, in the spirit of ‘catch them young’ so that when they grow older they become great assets.

Ali Jarra is currently preparing to start camping with players of the Ghana National Amputee Football Team, the Black Challenge, in readiness for the 31st Amputee World Cup in Russia from October 6-15.