The Western Regional Sports Authority(WRSA) under the auspices of the Western Regional Coordinating Council (WRCC) has on Thursday July 27, 2023 held a workshop on the topic “Climate Change and Sports” at the WRCC Residency Conference Room, Sekondi.
The program was attended by officials from the the Western Regional Sports Authority led by the boss, Joseph Alabi Bortey, representatives from Western Regional Football Association, Deputy Director, Technical, NSA Mr Jeffrey K. Manza, Mr Ebenezer Quainoo (Deputy Director RCC) , Regional Physical Education Coordinators and representatives from the various institutions in the Western Region.
Speaking to the media after the workshop, Dr. Edward Wilson Ansah, Senior Lecturer HOD, Department of Health, Physical Education and Recreation, University of Cape Coast who was selected as the Resource Person for the program explained the rational behind such a workshop.
“This morning we were discussing how climate change is affecting in terms of sports organization and Sports participation.
“Do our sports organizers consider or do they take into account the climate change and it’s effects before fixing the time,the city they take and conside how the whole climate , the heat will affect the performance of players and athletes.
“And beyond that how can we use sports to help mitigate, create awareness help mitigate climate change issues.
“Our stadia, do we have trees around it, we are saying Green Ghana, What is happening to our stadia, they are all there, how are we protecting our players, how can we use sports as a whole field to create awareness and push for some policies, changes that will help mitigate the effects of climate change ” quote from some of the participants.
The Western Regional Sports Authority boss, Joseph Alabi Bortey also expressed his gratitude to the resource persons and all the participants for making the program a success.
“The program has been a huge success, if we consider the current changing trends in our sporting Center, there is the need for us to be dynamic, one of the things that affects sports participation and performance is climate change”.
“How do we abrest our self with the necessary knowledge that would impact into organization of sporting event , how do we even get the knowledge to impact the construction of sporting facilities, how do we even plan our sporting programs, all those things are very key and today we have learnt alot that Climate Cut across all aspects of life including sports and that we can use sports to mitigate against climate change, educating people on what climate change is all about and how we should position ourself when it comes to organizing our sporting activities “.
“So on a whole, it’s has been good , the Resource person has been phenomenal and participants are happy that today they have been able to learn a lot that will impact positively on the organization of sporting activities in the region and else where”
“We are greatful to God for what he has done for us this day”.
One of the participants, Esinam Lotsu, who is the Assistants headmistress Administration and PE Teacher at Fiaseman SHS also shared her delight in getting the opportunity to attend such a program.
“This program on climate change and sports has been very useful, we know alot about climate change but relating it to sports is not something we have been able to do”.
“So coming here, we had a very broad knowledge about the importance of this climate change and it’s effects on the sporting activities that we do, especially as PE teachers , we will have to reschedule the practical activities from the afternoon to early to mornings so that the weather or heat will not have so much effect on the students”
“Then also our clothing as well, alot of things have to change because we know that those Nyon and Silk which most schools use , they generate a lot of heat on this children, there is the need for us to change our clothing from Nyon or Silk to Cotton, which is going to help the children from not gettytnks kind of heat”.
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“Infact l’m very privilege to be part of this all important program, so when I go back, I will first of all inform my headmaster that when we came this is what we have learnt and therefore is the need to inculcate it in what ever we are doing in our schools as sporting events are concern.
