The Ghana Taekwondo Federation (GTF) has held the second programme in its school Taekwondo awareness campaign, bringing together 200 schoolchildren from six schools at the Cape Coast Sports Stadium in the Central Region.
The programme, organised in collaboration with the Ghana National Council of Private Schools (GNACOPS), forms part of the federation’s efforts to introduce more children to Taekwondo and promote the sport as a tool for discipline, physical fitness, self-defence and youth development.
The school awareness campaign aims to introduce Taekwondo to children across Ghana, promote confidence and character development, identify young talent and create opportunities for participants to progress into regional, national and international competitions. Through collaboration with educational institutions, school authorities, coaches and other stakeholders, the federation hopes to expand grassroots participation and make the sport more accessible to young people.
The Cape Coast event follows the first programme in Kumasi and reflects the federation’s commitment to expanding access to Taekwondo in schools and communities across the country.
Speaking on behalf of GTF President Frederick Lartey Otu, Board Member and Acting Treasurer Hannah Akua Humphrey said the federation was committed to making Taekwondo accessible to people of all ages, backgrounds and beliefs across every region of Ghana.
She said the sport offered benefits beyond physical training, helping young people develop confidence, respect, perseverance and self-control.
“At the Ghana Taekwondo Federation, we believe every child deserves the opportunity to discover their talent and benefit from the physical, mental, and social development of sports,” she said.
Ms Humphrey called on educational bodies, school administrators, parents, local authorities and other stakeholders to support the introduction and growth of Taekwondo in schools and communities. She also urged coaches to recognise their role in shaping character and developing future leaders through their work with young athletes.
Representing the National Sports Authority, Central Regional Director Joyce Datsa highlighted discipline and punctuality as essential values in Taekwondo and sports generally. She explained that these values should extend beyond training sessions to students’ conduct at home, in school and in their daily lives.
Ms Datsa encouraged schools to adopt Taekwondo as an extracurricular activity alongside established sporting activities such as football and athletics. She emphasised that the sport should not be viewed simply as a means of learning to fight, but as an opportunity to develop self-discipline, endurance, fitness and appropriate self-defence skills.
She also pointed to the opportunities that structured Taekwondo development could create for young people to participate in regional, national and international competitions. With appropriate training and development, the sport could also help equip young people with skills relevant to future professional opportunities, including in the security services.
Leonard Dorman Kpogo, Central Regional Coordinator of GNACOPS, who spoke on behalf of the council’s Executive Director, welcomed the initiative and highlighted the importance of introducing Taekwondo more widely into schools.
He noted that although Taekwondo had been practised in some schools, there was a need to extend participation to more institutions and establish it as a recognised extracurricular activity.
Mr Kpogo said the sport could contribute to discipline, fitness, self-defence and healthy living among children and young people. He also stressed the importance of developing young participants to enable them to take advantage of regional, national and international competitions.
The programme brought together representatives of the Ghana Taekwondo Federation, the National Sports Authority, GNACOPS, the Ghana Education Service, participating schools, coaches and other stakeholders committed to youth and sports development.
The GTF acknowledged the contributions of the Central Regional Taekwondo leadership, GNACOPS, the Ghana Education Service, participating schools and coaches in making the programme possible.
The federation said collaboration among sporting bodies, educational institutions, parents and communities would be essential to expanding participation and building a stronger foundation for Taekwondo in Ghana.
Through the school awareness campaign, the GTF aims to take Taekwondo into more schools and communities across the country, giving children opportunities to learn the sport, develop their abilities and embrace the values of discipline, respect, perseverance and healthy living
