Certificate course in Sports Psychology opens in Accra

 The Minister of Sports and Recre­ation, Kofi Adams, has opened a four-day certificate in Sports Psychol­ogy programme, organised by the National Sports College, Winneba, at the Accra Sports Stadium with a call on sporting federations to embrace the initiative.

Facilitated by Dr Elvis Hagan Jnr from Germany and Dr Medina Srem-Sai from the University of Education, Winneba, the pro­gramme is in collaboration with the National Sports Authority (NSA).

It is the first of its kind in the country and aims to equip sports professionals with the psychologi­cal tools needed to enhance athlete performance.

Opening in Accra yesterday, Mr Adams emphasised the crucial role of psychology in sports develop­ment today.

He stated that sports develop­ment extends beyond physical training; mental conditioning is essential for athletes to reach their full potential.

“Psychology is a vital compo­nent of sports that significantly contributes to an athlete’s suc­cess. It’s not just about physical training; mental strength is equally important. If trainers understand psychology and incorporate it into their training regimens, athletes will perform at their maximum potential,” he said.

Mr Adams pointed out that Ghana has reached a point where talent and performance alone are insufficient for achieving success. “As a nation, we must focus on the psychological aspects of sports. That’s why we, as a ministry, fully support such programmes and en­courage federations to take a keen interest in them to help shape the future of our athletes.”

Dr Hagan Jnr highlighted the global significance of sports psychology, noting that Ghana has overlooked this field for too long. He expressed his enthusiasm for recent efforts to integrate sports psychology into the senior national football team, the Black Stars.

“This initiative is a crucial step in the right direction and requires sustained investment to realise its immense benefits,” he stated.

He recommended that the course be institutionalised as an annual or biennial programme in order to ensure continuity and enhance the scientific capacity of local coaches and physical educa­tion teachers.

The Acting Director General of the NSA, Mr Yaw Ampofo Ankrah, expressed optimism that the course would yield significant benefits for the country and en­couraged the participants to make a lasting impact in their respective sporting sectors.

Mr Bawa Fuseini, acting Direc­tor-General at the National Sports College, revealed that the pro­gramme had been oversubscribed, with 70 registered participants and an additional 20 observers.

He noted that the course would be replicated in other regions soon and expanded to diploma and degree levels.

 BY RAYMOND ACKUMEY