The Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA), in collaboration with the Kile’s Foundation, a Non-Governmental Network, has organised a sports clinic for young footballers within the Adjiringanor enclave in Accra to create synergy and help them grow their talent.
The event is in line with one of the pillars of “Beyond the Return,” which is to “Give Back to Ghana,” were Africans in the diaspora, with the quest to know their ancestral roots, contribute to the socio-economic development of the country.
Mr Kofi Atta Kakra Kusi, the Deputy Head of Corporate Affairs, GTA, in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA), said: “As part of the ‘Beyond the Return’, we have what we call ‘Give back to Ghana,’ where we engage people in the diaspora to support in providing the needs of communities.”
He said sports tourism had become a sector that delivered financial rewards to host locations by promoting employment and adding to the economic output through its commercial activities.
“The Authority in recent times is promoting sports and tourism to create a synergy where we can draw a lot of the youth to find opportunities and this is the opportune time for the Kile’s Foundation to team up with us to achieve that aim,” he added.
The Kile’s World Foundation, a United States-based Non- Governmental Network, was established in March 2013, with the goal of offering arts education to children from ages 10‐to 17 years.
Its activities are in honour of the memory of the late Kile Ishmael Glover, who passed on at age 11 in an accident.
Before his death, Kile acted in stage productions and wrote, produced and performed music as a budding visual artist. And to honour his memory, his mother, Tameka Foster- Raymond, decided to carry on the legacy.
Madam Foster-Raymond told the GNA that though her late son did not play football, she chose Ghana because the family had identified the country to have young talented footballers, upon her visit to Ghana a year ago.
She said the Foundation had incorporated football into its programmes as “a team sport that teaches a lot of discipline and comradery.”
The event would be replicated in other countries on the Continent, she said.
Mr Ryan Glover, Kile’s elder brother, who took the young athletes through basic drills, said he was enthused with the energy exhibited by the athletes.
“I would describe the sessions as great; everybody has intensity, everybody has energy and it is going to be amazing as we are only halfway done,” he said.
Mr Glover, a college student and quarterback, said the Foundation had brought football and sports kits for the athletes and pledged to make next year’s event “bigger and better”.
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