Ghana’s Handball fraternity have converged at Kpando for a 3-day Handball Competition dubbed ‘Handball Homecoming’ on the theme, “Empowering the Youth, Education and Sports in Focus”.
The event which is aimed at raising funds for a Multi-Purpose Sport Complex at the Kpando Sports Stadium has many of the Handball Clubs as well as Officials in Kpando, to ensure its success.
The security services teams and Community teams, with one team from Kpando, will also battle not for laurels but for the pride of the town, from which most of them were groomed.
In an interview with TalksenseSports, George Bankole, who is the initiator of this event said it is their wish to help revive the sport in the town.
“When I was at Kpando as a coach, I brought up some players who have risen to a level in their career, working for the security services. Since I left Kpando, 8 years ago, activities of handball are dying because in my days, Kpando players were picked to represent the whole region. I was however surprised, there wasn’t any player from Kpando for Volta Region at last year’s Sports Festival with the exception of my son who captained the team.
“So I decided to organize all my players to come back. Then we use the occasion to appeal for funds for a Multi-Purpose court as the facility is deteriorating,” he added.
Bankole, who started his career as a Coach at Kpando and currently, Technical Director of Ghana Handball believes the event will drive the youth away from social vices.
“The devil finds jobs for the idle hands and because the game among other least financed sports is not going on here well, our youth have taken to drugs and other social vices. So we will have health talks, education, discipline and others which will empower the youth out of their current status. I am happy that many of my Handball people bought into this idea and are supporting it.”
The Program is expected to end on Monday, July 2 with a traditional soccer match between age-long rivals, Kpando Gabi and Kpando Zongo
Organizers of the event plans to have it annually to ensure completion of the Multi-Purpose Court and successful revival of the sport in the town and the region.
By: Davis Nii Attuquaye Clottey/voltaonlinegh.com