The Ghana Taekwondo Federation (GTF) has launched a campaign to introduce taekwondo to schools and communities in five regions, starting with Kumasi. About 500 schoolchildren from 10 private schools in the Ashanti Region took part in the launch, trading their classroom uniforms for taekwondo doboks. The event marked the start of the Regional Taekwondo Awareness Campaign, which aims to promote taekwondo awareness, discipline, fitness, and youth development.
The campaign, themed "Promoting Taekwondo Awareness, Discipline, Fitness and Youth Development," seeks to widen access to the sport, identify young talent early, and instill discipline, fitness, self-defence skills, and confidence in children. GTF President Frederick Lartey Otu emphasized that the future of taekwondo in Ghana should not be measured only by champions produced, but also by the disciplined, responsible, and confident young people it shapes.
The initiative aims to create a clear pathway for young athletes to move from school and community-level training to regional and national competitions. Lartey Otu called on schools, parents, teachers, coaches, and sports authorities to work together to make this happen. Other speakers at the launch echoed the push to give sport a more central place in Ghanaian schooling, highlighting the benefits of activities like taekwondo in building discipline, focus, respect, resilience, teamwork, and leadership.
The Executive Director of the Ghana National Council of Private Schools (GNACOPS), Obenfo Nana Kwasi Gyetuah, urged schools and parents to devote more time and support to sports programmes. He argued that sport should not be treated as an afterthought, but rather as an integral part of a well-rounded education. The Ashanti Regional Director of the National Sports Authority (NSA), Nana Gyaama Dakwa, pledged her outfit's backing for grassroots development of the sport.
The Kumasi launch featured demonstrations from schoolchildren and taekwondo practitioners, including poomsae and self-defence techniques. The GTF's National Executive Board handed over uniforms and training equipment to the Ashanti Regional Taekwondo Association to support the programme. The campaign's focus on self-defence training was highlighted as particularly valuable for girls.
With the Kumasi launch complete, the campaign is set to move through the Northern, Upper West, Bono, and Central regions. Organisers aim to link school and community-level participation to regional and national competitive structures. The programme brings together school proprietors, teachers, parents, coaches, taekwondo officials, and representatives of the NSA and GNACOPS.
The success of the campaign depends on the continued collaboration of these groups to create a sustained pipeline for young Ghanaian athletes. While no further details on funding, timelines, or the number of schools expected to join in subsequent regions have been given, the initiative has generated enthusiasm and support from stakeholders.
Key points
- The Ghana Taekwondo Federation's campaign aims to promote taekwondo awareness, discipline, and youth development in five regions.
- The programme seeks to create a clear pathway for young athletes to move from school and community-level training to regional and national competitions.
- The initiative highlights the benefits of taekwondo in building discipline, focus, respect, resilience, teamwork, and leadership in children.
