Within three years, the Army sports teams have won a total of 167 medals in national, regional, and international competitions. This comprises 86 Gold, 51 Silver and 30 Bronze.
These achievements, the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Major General Thomas Oppong said were remarkable and worth celebrating.
Commemorating the Army Sports Teams’ success at Burma Camp, in Accra, last week Friday, COAS said the achievement did not come through cheating but through dedication and hard work on the part of the personnel, and also from sponsors and investment in the Army.
With a clear vision and desire that the Army Sports would be one of the best, he said: “Hence, on assumption of office in 2020, I approved the recruitment of 180 sportsmen and women for Basic Military Training, who upon completion formed the nucleus of the 20 sports disciplines in the Army.
“It is your right attitude, commitment to the cause and unrelenting spirit of determination to be the best for the Army, your family and yourselves, that resulted in winning these trophies,” he said.
He said the Army’s sponsorship includes the donation of a 33-seater bus to facilitate the teams’ movements and the provision of funds to support training and matches, with some friends of the Army providing various support.
According to him, some of the Army coaches, such as S/Sgt Ntaaga George and CPOI Taylor Patrick, have been appointed assistant and national head coaches for the national volleyball and women’s hockey teams, respectively.
He added that Cpl. Katadat Rasha and Pte. Ankomah Emmanuel had been released to the Paolo Volleyball Club in Malta and the South Burnie Hockey Club in Australia respectively.
COAS added that civilian personnel over the age of 27 will be absorbed as civilian employees.
The commanding officer in charge of sports at the Army Head Quarters, Major Dickson Agalga, said the Army recognises sports as the microcosm of society and also depicts the values, norms, and ethnicities of a given society.
He said sports and games play pivotal roles in making the Ghana Army a formidable security and development force.
These include physical fitness, team building, discipline, stress relief, leadership development, and the overall well-being of personnel.
“Also, sports has broader social and community benefits, contributing to national pride and public relations efforts. May I reiterate that participation in sports helps instill more discipline and self-control in military personnel as they learn to follow rules, respect authority and manage their emotions and actions under pressure,” he reiterated.
The Commanding Officer stated that these are based on the core tenets of the Ghana Armed Forces, which since their inception have embraced physical training, sports, and games as integral aspects of military training.
He said the Army experienced a decline, but due to the recruitment drive a dramatic change had been achieved.
The Commanding Officer stated that the sports disciplines in which the Army made remarkable achievements are football (men and women), basketball (men and women), handball (men and women), and volleyball (men and women).
The rest are hockey men/women, table tennis men/women, tennis men/women, boxing men/women, athletics men/women, bowling men/women, and football men/women.
