Great James Foundation emerged as champions of the 2026 Dawn of the Orphanage fitness event, held at Zulka Park in Dansoman, after a highly competitive contest as organizers called on sports ministry and National Sports Authority (NSA) for support.

The third edition of the event, which took place on May 1, 2026, saw three foundations battle for glory in various fitness activities, including body lifting, strength challenges, and tire flipping, with representatives from each school participating.

At the end of the competition, scores from both boys and girls were combined. Great James Foundation from Chorkor topped the list with 33 points, snatching the trophy from Chosen Home of Darkuman, who earned 32 points.

Open Heavens from Quashieman, making their debut, finished close behind with 31 points.

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Speaking after the event, Charles Owusu Ansah, President of Functional Fitness League Ghana, said they intend to nurture talents and called for financial aid from sports ministry and other stakeholders.

“God being so good, this third edition is an improvement on the second. We are hoping that next year’s fourth edition will be even bigger. There are so many orphanages out there, and we want to bring them into the limelight. These kids have potential and talent, and we believe that when we identify and nurture them, we can place them on the pathway to future sports and careers.

"We are going to select the best of these children, groom them, and prepare them for international competitions. We approached the sports ministry and NSA, but unfortunately, we couldn’t get support. We had to rely on corporate Ghana and individuals who believe in this mission.

"They contributed and supported us, including Forte Commodities Limited, Neurkies Hub, Electroland Ghana Limited, AppZone, Erata Motors, Simplicity Brands, Amazing Grace Travel and Tours.”

Nana Opare, CEO of Forte Commodities Limited, also shared his inspiration for supporting the initiative:



“My support for orphanages is usually in the form of relief, but the vision God gave him was to start this program as a way of building the orphans’ skills. I thought this was something unusual, we don’t have this in Ghana, and I wanted to see how far it could go. We supported him in the first year, it was a success, he came again in the second year, and today we are here witnessing the third.”



An official from Great James Foundation expressed delight at their victory and gratitude to the organizers, “This is a wonderful initiative our brother Charles has taken upon himself. This is our third time participating, and each year the program improves.

"Winning has lifted our spirits and proves that we can succeed. Aside from the personal training we do with Charles, we don’t rest, mornings we train at the beach, evenings we do road work. Endurance and fitness have brought us this far.”

SB

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