About 500 schoolchildren from 10 private schools in the Ashanti Region have taken part in the launch of a Ghana Taekwondo Federation campaign that will take the sport into schools and communities across five regions.
The Regional Taekwondo Awareness Campaign, launched in Kumasi under the theme "Promoting Taekwondo Awareness, Discipline, Fitness and Youth Development," will initially cover the Ashanti, Northern, Upper West, Bono and Central regions.
The initiative is aimed at increasing access to Taekwondo among young people, identifying talent early and promoting the sport as a means of developing discipline, physical fitness, self-defence and confidence.
The President of the Federation, Mr Frederick Lartey Otu, said the campaign reflects a broader shift in the Federation's approach to youth development. "The future of Taekwondo in Ghana lies not only in producing champions, but also in producing disciplined, responsible and confident young people," he said.
He said the programme would create opportunities for young athletes to progress from school and community programmes to regional and national competition, while encouraging regular physical activity and introducing more young people to the values of Taekwondo. He also called for stronger collaboration among schools, parents, teachers, coaches, sports authorities and Taekwondo associations. "This programme requires partnership, commitment and collective responsibility," he said.
The Executive Director of the Ghana National Council of Private Schools, Obenfo Nana Kwasi Gyetuah, called for a rethink of the place of sports in Ghana's education system. He argued that sports should not be treated simply as co-curricular activities but as an important part of developing the whole child.
"For too long, we have treated sports as something children do after the real learning is done. Sports teach discipline, focus, respect, resilience, teamwork and leadership. These are not extras. They are the very foundation of the transformed learner Ghana needs," he said.
Obenfo said Taekwondo combines physical training with discipline, self-control and focus, and urged schools and parents to give sports adequate time, space and support. "When we change the language, we change the priority. When sports become the main curriculum for transformation, we will raise children who are not only academically sound but physically strong, emotionally balanced and morally grounded," he said.
The Ashanti Regional Director of the National Sports Authority, Nana Gyaama Dakwa, pledged the directorate's support for grassroots sports development and encouraged more schools to participate in Taekwondo. She said the sport could help children develop physical fitness and mental alertness while also giving them self-defence skills. "When the kids know how to defend themselves, especially the ladies, I think it will be of much help to them," she said.
The launch featured demonstrations by schoolchildren and Taekwondo practitioners, including Poomsae and self-defence techniques. The National Executive Board of the Federation also presented uniforms and equipment to the Ashanti Regional Taekwondo Association to support training and development in the region.
The event was attended by school proprietors, teachers, parents, coaches, Taekwondo officials, National Sports Authority representatives and the Ashanti Regional Director of the Ghana National Council of Private Schools, Mr Edward Akanzu Ise.
