The Ghana Taekwondo Federation (GTF) has initiated a regional awareness campaign aimed at promoting taekwondo among young people. The campaign, which kicked off in Kumasi, saw over 500 pupils from 10 private schools participating in the opening event. This initiative, dubbed the Regional Taekwondo Awareness Campaign, is set to be rolled out in the Ashanti, Northern, Upper West, Bono, and Central regions. The campaign's theme, “Promoting Taekwondo Awareness, Discipline, Fitness and Youth Development,” underscores its objectives.
The campaign seeks to increase access to taekwondo at the grassroots level, identify young talent early, and promote the sport as a tool for discipline, physical fitness, self-defence, and confidence-building among the youth. According to Mr. Frederick Lartey Otu, President of the GTF, the programme is part of the Federation’s broader vision of using sport as a platform for youth development. He emphasized that the future of taekwondo in Ghana lies not only in producing champions but also in producing disciplined, responsible, and confident young people.
Mr. Otu noted that the initiative would create pathways for young athletes to progress from school and community programmes to regional and national competitions. He also called for closer collaboration among schools, parents, teachers, coaches, sports authorities, and taekwondo associations to ensure the success of the programme. This, he added, requires partnership, commitment, and collective responsibility. The GTF National Executive Board presented uniforms and training equipment to the Ashanti Regional Taekwondo Association to support the development of the sport in the region.
Mr. Obenfo Nana Kwasi Gyetuah, Executive Director of the Ghana National Council of Private Schools (GNACOPS), urged stakeholders to reconsider the role of sports within the country’s educational system. He believes that sports should be viewed as an essential component of holistic education rather than merely a co-curricular activity. According to him, sports teach discipline, focus, respect, resilience, teamwork, and leadership, which are foundational to the development of the transformed learner Ghana needs.
Mr. Gyetuah described taekwondo as a sport that combines physical training with mental discipline and self-control. He encouraged schools and parents to provide the necessary support for sports participation, emphasizing that when the language around sports changes, so does the priority. This, he believes, will lead to raising children who are not only academically sound but also physically strong, emotionally balanced, and morally grounded.
Madam Nana Gyaama Dakwa, Ashanti Regional Director of the National Sports Authority (NSA), assured the Federation of the Authority’s support for grassroots sports development. She encouraged more schools to embrace taekwondo, highlighting that the sport enhances physical fitness, mental alertness, and self-defence skills among children. The launch featured taekwondo demonstrations by pupils and practitioners, including Poomsae routines and self-defence techniques.
The event was attended by school proprietors, teachers, parents, coaches, taekwondo officials, representatives of the NSA, and Mr. Edward Akanzu Ise, Ashanti Regional Director of GNACOPS. The programme aims to promote taekwondo awareness, discipline, fitness, and youth development. Key points include:
Key points
- The campaign will be rolled out in five regions of Ghana.
- The initiative aims to increase access to taekwondo at the grassroots level.
- The programme seeks to produce disciplined, responsible, and confident young people through taekwondo.
