‘One child-One ball’ project unveiled
The former independent Parliamentary candidate for Tema East, Mr. Theophilus Nii Ankamah Densu-Tetteh, has unveiled a grassroots football development plan aimed at reviving colts football in Ghana.
Mr Densu-Tetteh, who doubles as a football scout will undertake the initiative dubbed ‘One Child, One football’ with Portuguese Youth Coach, Ilucio da Costa Dias.
The project is to develop local talents, and build the confidence of players regardless of where they are from.
In an interview with the Times Sports, Mr Densu-Tetteh, the Project Coordinator said the idea to revive grass-roots football was hatched when he met Dias for their Masters in Sports Policy and Business Management course at the Manchester Metropolitan University in the United Kingdom years ago.
He said “it was time to give young talents from all backgrounds gain exposure to the right training they need in order to learn the skills and technique needed to develop as a professional footballer.”
Mr Densu-Tetteh said young footballers will be trained to meet the European standard before they are scouted for clubs.
In that regard, he said professional coaches and technical staff will be hired locally to give them the best of education through the Ghana Education Service (GES) approved curriculum.
Commenting on grass-roots football development in Ghana, the football administrator said it was important to find solutions to issues on lack of finance, poor facilities alongside the poor coaching standards.
With over 15 years’ experience as a Youth Development Coach in the UK, Mr Dias, who worked with Burnley Football Club, Sporting Lisbon and Benfica in Portugal, said the perfect surface to train was a 3G Football Pitch which plays a vital role in improving colts football.
A 3G field is a “Long-pile synthetic grass with a pile height of 40mm to 65mm, typically filled with a combination of sand and performance infill.”
“They are free draining, can withstand long periods without rainfall, and won’t turn brown or patchy like real turf does throughout the summer months,” he explained.
Mr Dias said the team has acquired acres of land at Prampram in the Greater Accra region, where an ultra-modern sports complex would be constructed
BY LINUS SIAW NARTEY
