The Minister of Youth and Sports, Mr Mustapha Ussif, on Saturday launched the FIFA Football For Schools (F4S) programme at the Adjei Kraku II Sports Complex in Tema.
It was attended by dignitaries including the Director of the FIFA Football for Schools programme, Madam Fatimata Sow Sidibe, the Deputy Director-General (Management Services) of the Ghana Education Service (GES), Mr. Stephen Kwaku Owusu; a Director at the Tema Metro Education Directorate, Mrs. Bernice Oferi; a GES Director in charge of Physical Education (PE) and Sports, Mr. Michael Nton Ayeh; Mayor of Tema, Mr. Yohane Amarh Ashitey,Chief Director and directors from the Ministry of Youth and Sports (MoYS).
The F4S is an ambitious programme funded and run by FIFA in collaboration with MOYS, GFA, the Ministry of Education (MoE) and GES AND aims to contribute to the education, development, and empowerment of boys and girls between the ages of 4 and 14 years.
As part of the programme, 50 selected Physical Education (PE) teachers from Ghana’s 16 regions have been trained in a FIFA specialists training programme to train other PE teachers at the District and Regional levels.
Speaking at the launch, Mr. Ussif said initiatives like F4S are door-opening opportunities that, when given full attention, will define the future of many young girls in the country.
He said the government, through the MOYS, was committed to helping children of school-going age attain the heights they desire as far as education, careers, and healthy lifestyles were concerned, and added that such collaborative initiatives with FIFA would go a long way in helping them to achieve their life goals.
On her part, Madam Fatimata Sow Sidibe, congratulated the 50 trained PE teachers and asked them to share their knowledge with the others for the success of the programme.
The GFA President, Mr Kurt Edwin Simeon-Okraku, said the FA was committed to introducing the football at the basic level; hence, working closely with MoE and GES to ensure that the F4S was implemented.
Through the programme, over 30,000 footballs are expected to be shared amongst basic schools in the country.
Ghana is among 30 African countries and the 79th FIFA Member Association across the globe that have signed up for this programme
BY RAYMOND ACKUMEY
