By
Grace Princess Tarwo, GNA
Accra, Aug 16, GNA –
Pops Mensah-Bonsu, Former National Basketball Association (NBA) player and
Executive, has launched his two-day basketball skills development camp to train
and develop young players and help them achieve their dreams.
The camp slated for
August 18 and 19, would be held at the International Central Gospel Church
basketball court at Abossey Okai, Accra in partnership with the Ghana
Basketball Association, Year of Return and Rite Multimedia.
Pops, who was officially
welcomed with his delegation of Ghanaian sporting executives at the highest
level. would participate in the ‘Year of Return’ activities organised by the
Ghana Tourism Authority throughout the week.
Whilst in the
country, the delegation would meet with key stakeholders in sports in the
country to drive discussions on how Ghana could move to the next level and
become global giants in the sporting landscape.
The delegation
includes; John Manyo Plange newly appointed Head of Strategy and Operations and
Vice President of the NBA Basketball Africa League and Del Titus Bawuah, an
Entrepreneur all of Ghanaian descent.
Mensah-Bonsu in his
remarks said, he had come to be an inspiration to the young ones through his
initiatives as a social responsibility and providing opportunities for the
future of Ghana’s basketball.
He added that, the
camp would be a sustained event that is intended to happen every year and would
aim at training 100 young players a day.
Mensah-Bonsu said he
looked forward to holding a fruitful discussion with stakeholders to see how
they could put Ghana on the world Map and having more Ghanaians playing at the
NBA.
Achieving such
target, he said, would only be actualize when the young players are trained and
given opportunities to exhibit their skills hence encouraging them to
participate in the training.
Mr. John Manyo
Plange, Vice President and Head of Strategy and Operations said the ‘Year of
Return’ was a good opportunity to be back home adding that, they would
collaborate with the necessary stakeholders in the sporting fraternity to
revive basketball in Ghana.
He said NBA Africa
had expanded its junior programmes to over 14 countries in the world and has
the Basketball League to open soon in Senegal to provide African Youth.
Mr Manyo plange
said, the league would be a championship and made of 12 teams which would play
in six countries namely; Morocco, Nigeria, Angola, Tunisia, Egypt and Senegal
with the finals played in Rwanda.
He said it was time
Ghana got involved fully and saw basketball as a business and not a mere
activity thus building the ecosystem in the country and beyond and pledge the
support of NBA Africa to establish an adult court in Ghana soon.
Mr Akwasi Agyemang,
Chief Executive Officer Ghana Tourism Authority said the visit would build
partnerships as part of the ‘Year of Return’ legacies, adding that he was
looking forward to more opportunities for Ghanaians at the NBA in the
Basketball League.
He commended Pops
and other officials in the sports landscape for the efforts thus far and
appealed other celebrities who were yet to partake in the activities to
contribute their quota for the development of the nation.
GNA
