Create a good coach-athlete relationship to scout best talents for the country — Coaches and Administrators told

The Deputy Director General, in charge of Technical at the National Sports Authority (NSA), Kwame Amponfi has urged Sports Coaches and Administrators to create a good coach-athlete relationship so as to identify and manage best talents to compete for the country.

He said talent identification and coaching management are vital in the development of an athlete from the grass root to the elite stage, which will contribute to professionals winning more laurels for the country.

Mr. Amponfi made the call in Ho, at a two-day Scientific Workshop for Sports Administrators, Coaches, and other stakeholders at the School of Sports and Exercise Medicine of the University of Health and Allied Sciences (UHAS).

Mr. Amponfi enlightened participants on what to look out for in the process of Talent Identification, listing Technical Skills, Tactical Ability, Psychological Stability, and Physical Stature as processes coaches should consider.

The two-day workshop is the first of its kind in the country since Ghana’s first participation in the Summer Olympics in 1952.

It sought to assess Ghana’s performance in the just-ended 2020 Tokyo Olympics in Japan and to establish the way forward with a scientific approach in subsequent Olympics Games Ghana will participate in.

The Pro. Vice Chancellor of UHAS, Professor Harry Tagbor, who opened the workshop, called on participants to be attentive so as to achieve the vision of the workshop.

The Dean for School of Sports and Exercise Medicine, Professor Eric Ofori exposed participants to the evolution of the school of Sports and Exercise Medicine as the newest school in the University and encouraged participants to recommend the university’s academic programs in Sports and Exercise Medical Science, Sports Coaching and Exercise Psychology, Sports Nutrition, Sports Management and Marketing to all

Specialists and professionals from the fields of Sports and Science at UHAS gave insights on general nutrition, health, well-being and exercise for athletes.

The Technical Advisor to the Minister for Youth and Sports, Dr. Emmanuel Owusu Ansah made an assessment of Ghana’s Participation at the Olympic Games and touched on the importance of talent transfer.

Dr. Ansah profiled the Body Anatomy of Ghana’s Swimmer, Abeiku Jackson against an eventual Gold medalist, Caeleb Dressel at the recently held Olympics.

Speaking at the Workshop Technical Session, Professor Oluwaseun Omotayo the Head of Sports and Exercise Medical Sciences Department at UHAS mentioned the need for the training of Secondary School Teachers in the act of scientific approach in talents identification to make easy the nurturing of athletes for podium appearances.

He also read the workshop Communique in which it was agreed that the collaboration of UHAS School of Sports and Exercise Medicine and the National Sports Authority be deepened and the MoU between the Ghana Boxing Association be spread to other Sports Association in Ghana.

Other speakers were Dr. Enock Baah, Head of Research, Education and training at the NSA, Professor Dele Oladipo, Mr. Divine Eli-Cophie, Mr. Frank Appiah Kusi, Helena Nti, Dr. Joy Akameze, and Drusella Asante of the School of Sports and Exercise Medicine of UHAS.

Source: Modern Ghana