Work begins: Rowing and Canoeing executives visit athletes in Ada
The mandate of the newly elected executive board of the Ghana Rowing and Canoeing Association has swung into full gear after President Francis Decland led other bigwigs of the association on a familiarization tour to the Ada base of the sport's athletes on Sunday.
Decland, a renowned boxing promoter replaced Hon. Jonathan Tackie-Komme as chief of the association following congress and elections in June and already he is keen to start chalking results without delay.
'We have just come on board and we are looking at ways by which we can improve the sport in this country. That's why we thought it wise to visit our athletes on a familiarization tour so that we'll know the problems and what facilities we are lacking,' Mr. Decland told the young athletes.
A host of the athletes, including girls and some who have already represented Ghana at international events, were around to also run some exhibition races much to the delight of the sizeable crowd at their training base in Tsarleykope in Ada-Foah.
'Clearly you guys are very talented and I was amazed at the level of competition all of you displayed even though it was just an exhibition. We are assuring you that henceforth Rowing and Canoeing is going to move forward and upwards,' Francis Decland affirmed.
Stephen Asante Bekoe, board member and legal advisor to the association, was equally in buoyant mood, urging the athletes to work even harder because he has the perfect plan to dethrone football as Ghana's number one sport.
'Rowing and canoeing is the sport of the future in this country, we want to compete with the publicity and patronage football has in this country and we have to work towards it. So I urge you to continue to work hard,' Mr. Asante Bekoe said.
The athletes who have been training daily under the instructions of Junior national coach, Isaac Adopleh, expressed delight at the apparent commitment of the new leaders and were united in pledging to work harder towards achieving glories for Ghana.
'This is the kind of support we have been looking for and we are grateful to the new President and his assistants. We'll also do well and make sure that we qualify for the All Africa Games and the Olympic Games,' Coach Adopleh said.
'We must be focused, disciplined and help each other so that we'll get what we want. So no one must sit down somebody to come and call you before you come to train. We should wake up to train on our own and improve every day,' one of the athletes, Ebenezer Okronipah cautioned his colleagues.