NFG: Netball exclusion from AG will damage Ghana’s reputation
The Netball Federation of Ghana (NFG) is lamenting over the exclusion of the netball sports code among codes listed for the Africa Games to be hosted in Ghana in 2024.
“It is quite unfortunate that netball has been deleted from the sports codes of the Africa Games. At the first joint technical meeting of stakeholder, the game of netball was accepted and included in the Sports Codes. We’re at a loss as to what contributed to this.”
Rev. Emmanuel D. Nikoi, President of the NFG, said in a statement that the decision would damage Ghana’s image and popularity in the game and go a long way to affect the game’s development and promotion in Ghana.
“Netball is played in Ghana at all school level and communities. There are netball clubs all over the country who have all trained well to be part of this occasion (Africa Games).”
“It is a fact that in all countries where the game of netball is played, it is included in the games whenever that country host the Games. In 1999 when South Africa hosted the Games, netball was included because it is a popular sport there.”
According to Rev. Nikoi, the sport of netball keeps girls and women actively engaged in sporting activities, and keeps them away from social vices.
More importantly, he said if netball, which is played in the communities and from basic schools to tertiary institutions, was taken out, it would not only damage the game’s popularity but will also kill the interest of the young girls and women who have been involved in it and yearned for such a platform to showcase their skills.
“Furthermore, the girls or women that play netball will lose interest because they will think that they have no future if they continue to play the game in Ghana.”
“We can’t blame them because if Ghana host the Games and they are denied that right to also play their game of netball, clearly that suggests that the sport is not regarded in Ghana and playing is waste of time,” Rev. Nikoi lamented.
The saddest part of all according to Rev. Nikoi, was the decision of World Netball to use the netball competition at the Africa Games as a ranking tournament.
“What it mean is that adding netball offers Ghana a chance to put on a good show and get ranked. Since we’re unable to get financial support to travel for such ranking tournaments, it was our hope that it would be included to present us the chance to be involved.”
The NFG President also explained that failure to include netball in the Games would mean that Ghana cannot partake in international netball championships.
According to him, Ghana stands to gain a lot if netball was added to the sports codes for the Games because there would be very good infrastructure afterwards which would propel the game to a greater heights.
He appealed to the Local Organising Committee (LOC) and the Ministry of Youth and Sports (MoYS) to work around the clock to get stakeholders to restore the netball code for the Games.
BY ANDREW NORTEY
