Africa-Press – Ghana. Mr Duah Isaac Aboagye, the President of the Ghana Tennis Federation (GTF) has called for support to improve physical infrastructure to advance the progressive growth and development of the sport.
He emphasised that tennis had huge economic prospects for the nation, saying besides the recreational benefits like socialization and bonding peace, the sport had potential to create jobs to lessen the nation’s youth unemployment situation.
He also commended the Bui Tennis Club (BTC) of the Bui Power Authority, the managers of the Bui Generating Station (BGS) for its contributions towards the development of the sport at the local levels.
Mr Aboagye regretted that despite the potential, successive governments remained uncommitted in developing the sport, urging effective collaboration from Corporate Ghana and other relevant organisations towards building more tennis courts and improving facilities at the national and regional levels.
Nonetheless, he said the nation through the GTF had nurtured, produced and featured tennis players on the international stage, saying the nation had numerous talents that could be tapped and harnessed for international derbies.
Mr Aboagye spoke to the GNA sport on the sidelines of the closing session of a two-day tennis competition organised by the BTC at the dam’s plant site in the Savannah Region.
Inaugurated two years ago, the BTC, a member of the GTF, has 43 members and serves as the official tennis club for the Savannah Region.
Mr Aboagye noted that despite the financial challenges, the federation was working assiduously to create an enabling environment to facilitate the smooth training of coaches, saying with improved infrastructure development, tennis talents at the regional levels could be easily identified and harnessed and tapped for the benefit of the nation.
“In fact, for the past 15 years, the GTF has been struggling a lot in the development of tennis, struggling to access funding from the government”. He worried and commended the BTC for their crucial role in helping to develop the sport.
Mr Charles Lwanga Puozuing, the Upper West Regional Minister, observed that sports were now beyond entertainment, stressing the need for the nation to do more to enhance the growth and development of tennis and other lesser sports and to tap into the prospects.
“You know in every developmental drive, the leadership must be intentional and so I think that tennis is an area we must look at to increase more of the facilities and train more people to be coaches and gradually we can build the potential of our people”, he stated.
Mr Puozuing said he was optimistic that with improved physical infrastructure, tennis could create gainful employment for more people and put the nation on the international stage to widen her foreign income earnings.
Earlier in a welcoming address, Mr Wumbila Salifu, the Director of Estate, BPA and Chairman of the BTC said besides the socialization and recreational activities the club was dedicated to unearthing and build the tennis potential in the dam’s enclave.
He expressed appreciation to the BPA for supporting the organisation of the competition which featured the Techiman Holy Family Tennis Club, Techiman Tennis Club, and the Wa Tennis Club.
As part of the competition, Mr Joseph Konnuba, the Organiser of the BTC, explained that technical discussions would be held to push forward the progressive growth and development of tennis in the Bui/Jama enclave of the dam.
All the participating clubs were presented with trophies and medals.
