Ghana Celebrates 2nd FIH Global Youth Marathon

The Ghana Hockey Association (GHA) in conjunction with the Greater Accra Hockey Association (GAHA) celebrated the International Hockey Federation’s 2nd Global Youth Marathon to highlight the participation of youth hockey players in the development of the game with a big bang at the National Hockey Pitch.

The marathon, which was celebrated under the theme ‘Exchange’, brought together youth players to offer them the opportunity to share ideas verbally and practically through the exhibition of their skills. It also offered the youth trainers and the coaches an opportunity to learn new tricks from the skillful young players. Indeed the young ones did not disappoint the trainers and the coaches as they handed down some breathtaking performance during the freestyle skill competition that formed part of the day’s activities.

The young ones went further to show that their performances were neither flukes nor some practice tricks that could not stand the test of a match situation as they flawlessly exhibited their amazing skills to the cheers and applauds of the crowd that watched the 6-a-side and under-18 matches.
More than 300 youth players as against the 200 that was anticipated by the organizers participated in the event. It was such a delight to watch the young passers-by who were attracted to the activities on the pitch join the fun even without the full complement of the appropriate apparel.
In his closing remarks, the Chairman of the Ghana Hockey Association Mr. Oko-Nikoi Dzani, on behalf of the GHA and the Greater Accra Hockey Association thanked the parents, guardians and teachers of the participants for their support in making the event a success. He also thanked the Youth trainers and the coaches for their tireless efforts to develop these young players to ensure that the game of hockey continues to be played in the country. He paid tribute to the sponsoring institutions and corporate organizations, clubs and

Institutions of the Greater Accra Hockey Association, the media, especially, GTV, TV3, Metro TV, Radio Gold, Joy FM and the Ghanaweb internet site for their continued support for the development of the game of hockey in the country.

Six participants were awarded prizes in two main categories of the boys division while one girl, Mercy Adu, was awarded a prize for her overall performance. The prize, an FIH embossed hockey stick was presented to the following boys:

Skills Test:
1st - Stephen Wilson
2nd – Alex Opoku
3rd - Evans ‘Tico’ Sadary
Free Style:
1st - Emmanuel Morrison
2nd – Stephen Wilson
3rd – Joseph Arthur