The Ghana Taekwondo Federation (GTF) on Friday engaged 315 students from five schools in the Upper West Region (UWR) as it continues with its nationwide Regional Taekwondo Awareness Campaign that seeks to push the sport closer to schools and communities while promoting discipline, physical fitness and youth development.
It was the third edition after previous events in Kumasi and Cape Coast in the Ashanti and Central Regions of Ghana.
At the Wa Technical Institute, the programme attracted students, traditional authorities, sports administrators, educators, Taekwondo practitioners and representatives of key institutions to introduce young people to the sport and encourage wider participation.
The GTF brainchild, organised with its regional associations, is designed to increase awareness of taekwondo, identify emerging talents and create opportunities for young people to develop the physical, mental and personal qualities associated with the martial art.
The campaign has now reached more than 1,000 students across 26 schools in three regions, after the Kumasi and Cape Coast events attracted 500 and 200 students, respectively.
Speaking on behalf of the GTF President, Mr Frederick Lartey Otu, the Federation’s Secretary-General, Kankpenuba Peter Nuntaa Wisdom, said taekwondo offered young people an opportunity to develop skills and values that extended beyond sporting activities.
“Taekwondo is more than a martial art. It is a discipline that teaches respect, self-control, perseverance, confidence and responsibility,” he mentioned.
He encouraged students to take active interest in the demonstrations and urged teachers and school administrators to create opportunities for learners to participate in organised sports and extracurricular activities.
The programme received support from regional stakeholders, including the National Sports Authority (NSA), Ghana Education Service (GES), the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) and traditional authorities.
The NSA Regional Sports Development Officer, Biliguo Johnbosco, commended the Federation and the regional Taekwondo Association for the initiative, reaffirming the authority’s commitment to grassroots sports development and talent identification.
He emphasised the importance of making sporting opportunities accessible to everyone, including girls and persons with disabilities, and called for stronger partnerships to expand participation in schools and communities.
The Regional Physical Education Coordinator of the GES, Mr Julius Angsomwine, also expressed the service’s willingness to support the introduction of taekwondo in schools but added that the necessary administrative authorisation must first be obtained.
A traditional leader, Sunche Naa Daudi Osman Yakubu Saaka, encouraged the organisers to sustain the initiative and urged young people to embrace physical activities that promote healthy living.
A former taekwondo practitioner and former Headmaster of Nandom Senior High School, Mr Magnus, called for the establishment of more taekwondo clubs across the region, particularly in schools and towns where previous clubs had ceased operating.
The Wa Municipal Commander of the Narcotics Control Commission, JB Abesig, cautioned students against substance abuse, particularly the misuse of medication and other substances in attempts to improve physical performance or stay awake to study.
BY TIMES SPORTS REPORTER
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