Communities to form clubs to restore athletics

The Felix Sakora Production, an athletes’ oriented organization and the Past Athletics Association of Ghana (PAAG) has organized an athletic competition to unearth talents in the various sports events with the call on communities to form clubs to revamp the sports.

The maiden event was between Accra, Teshie and Tema clubs and it involved all the disciplines of the sports, with the participation of members of the PAAG.

Speaking to the Ghana News Agency in an interview at Teshie, Mr Felix Timaan, also known as Sakora, owner of Felix Sakora Production said it dawned on him, as an ardent former runner for the Eastern Regional, to organize the event to keep athletics alive.

He said he therefore approached the members of the PAAG to join him to arrange for the event, dubbed “Athletics Competition 2015,” at Teshie to encourage and raise awareness for the formation of athletic clubs in communities.

Mr Timaan said the competition would be held annually, and that, the Felix Sakora Production is in the process of launching the Teshie Athletic Club and urged community members at Osu, La and Nungua to also come on board.

“We could do this to bring back the enthusiasm in the sports, and engage the youth in a profitable venture, rather than allowing them to loiter around and indulge in negative vices that will eventually ruin their future,” he said.

He said his organization would offer scholarship to athletes who would excel in the annual competition and assist them to train outside the country.

Mr Andrew Agbo Kitcher, Chairman of the PAAG said the major problem facing athletics in the country was the non availability of coaches, which had affected the sports.

He said the Association together with the Ghana Amateur Athletes Association was working to find solutions to the situation by organizing coaching courses.

Nii Nortey Dua, former Member of Parliament for Teshie and former Deputy Minister of Youth and Sports commended Sakora and the partners for their initiative, and urged Sakora to unearth athletic talents for the country and assured of his support.

Madam Mimi Amy Payne, an American-based Ghanaian and a sponsor of the programme, appealed to the sports authorities to lend their support to the enterprise, which would go a long way in improving the conditions of the youth and older sports men and women.

Certificates were presented to athletes who participated in the competition.