Beach Soccer to hit Ashanti and Eastern Region next year
The Ghana Beach Soccer Development Committee (GBSDC) has comfirmed that one of their major plans they have earmarked for 2020 is the expansion of the sport beyond its traditional territories.
Speaking to the media after the launch of 2019 Ghana Beach Soccer Super League, Coach of the National team Daniel Kotey said he has had discussions with the Beach Soccer Management about strengthening the National team (Black Sharks) in order to attempt winning laurels in 2020 and beyond. He said one of the surest ways of doing this is to make sure that all players who have potentials are given the opportunity to showcase their skills. In so doing Ghana Beach Soccer will have a vast pool of talents to choose from.
Already, the reigning African Beach Soccer goalking is Alexander Adjei who hails from Teshie in the Greater Accra Region scored 17 goals in the AFCON Championships in Seychelles in 2015 and that record is yet to be broken and may take many years for that to happen.
The coach explained that this shows the potential that Ghana has as far as Beach Soccer is concerned and he is optimistic that players that are good or even better than Alexander Adjei can be found if the sport is taken beyond its normal territories.
Currently Beach Soccer has registered 16 clubs and its in the process of approving applications from another 20 clubs in other regions which will bring the number easily to 36 and beyond. None of these clubs hails from the Ashanti, Eastern, Northern or other regions outside the coastal communities and it is possible to see a massive surge in Beach Soccer clubs in Ghana if the sport is taken beyond Western, Central, Gt.Accra and Volta Regions.
Meanwhile the President of the Ghana Beach Soccer Association Yaw Ampofo Ankrah has commended the clubs for their hardwork, patience and resilience all these years with very little support in terms of team development. He however has stressed that his key priority is to work together with whoever becomes the Ghana Football Association President to ensure that Beach Soccer clubs and the Black Sharks are given the necessary support they need to to excel.
He said in the past, there were lots of challenges which denied them qualifications to various competitions and would have no excuses in 2020 and onwards when the needed support is being given them.
Yaw Ankrah confirmed that he is in talks with a number of GFA Presidential candidates who have all promised to take beach Soccer up as a very serious sport in their administration.
The Black Sharks of Ghana are currently ranked 78th in the world having dropped 13 places due to in inactivities over the last 12months but remains top 10 in Africa ranked 9th by the Confederation of African Football.
The sport also intends to open to women in 2020 once the right people are found to spearhead that project which will also include introduction of Beach Soccer in schools along the coast.
