Ghana Volleyball Association (GVA) benefits from IOC Solidarity Project

Mostafa Ahchouche of Morocco is in Ghana for the second time to coach elite volleyball instructors on new developments and arrangements in the game.

Coaches of the Ghana Volleyball Association (GVA) are to benefit from the Olympic Solidarity project under the theme‘Development of the national sports system for volleyball’ from Wednesday, September 13, 201713 to December 6, 2017 at the Media Centre of the Accra Sports Stadium.

The project by the GVA is being organized in collaboration with the Ghana Olympic Committee (GOC) and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) under the Olympic Solidarity and the theme ‘Development of the national sports system for volleyball’ with Morocco’s Mostafa Ahchouche as resource person for the project.

The International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) instructor coach said he is delighted to be in Ghana and praised the Ghana national team, the Black Spikers who are performing very well lately on the international scene.

Director General of the National Sports Authority (NSA), Robert Sarfo Mensah who graced the launch of the programme said most of the problems confronting athletes, coaches ( both indoor & beach) and physical education tutors will be taken care of under this scheme, and the game of volleyball will be developed.

He commended the resource person who had come from Morocco to share his ideas with elite Ghanaian coaches in volleyball who are ready to excel at international level.

Ben Nunoo Mensah, President of the Ghana Olympic Committee (GOC) commended the coach for coming back to Ghana. He assured the NSA DG that more of such capacity building programmes will be organized for athletes and officials

He said with little funds the least financed sports can win laurels for the nation, like the weight lifting has done by winning silver and bronze medals at the recent commonwealth championship.

He also pleaded that coaches who benefit from the Olympic Solidarity courses should be linked and employed by the NSA and the security agencies.

He praised the NSA and Ministry of Youth & Sports for supporting other disciplines like weight lifting, volleyball, Paralympics

The IOC, through the Olympic Solidarity, has budgeted US$509,285,000 to support the various National Olympic Committees (NOC) for the 2017-2020 quadrennial plan.

The amount is a 16% increase compared to the 2013-2016 quadrennial budget.

The Olympic Solidarity Scholarship is offering technical courses for volleyball coaches to benefit from high-level training in sports sciences, sport-specific training or e-learning.

Ms Christie Ashie, General Secretary of the Ghana volleyball association (GVA) said “Development of national sports System allows NOCs to develop and strengthen their sports system at local or national level. It aids in developing a national sports and coaching structure by implementing a mid to long-term action plan for one or several sports”.

From Sammy Heywood Okine