Badminton coach optimistic

Coach Shamo- head coach of the badminton team

Head coach of the national senior badminton team, Frank Shamo, is optimistic his team’s performance at this year’s All Africa Seniors Badminton Championships in Mauritius will mark an improvement over their quarter finals showing at the 2011 championships held in Ethiopia.

Ghana joined the rest of Africa for the bi-annual championships from August 14-20 and coach Shamo who flew out of the country together with his assistant Jacob E. Wilson and a team of five players, made up of three males for tournament, believes they have what it takes to bring back medals from this year’s championships.

Daniel Sam, Emmanuel Donkor and Abraham Ayittey will be defending the flag of Ghana in the male division while the good old Stella Amasah and Evelyn Botwe battle for honours in the female division.

In a chat with the Times Sports before the team’s departure on Tuesday night, the celebrated coach said the experience gained from past championships will come in handy for his players in competition.
The team will compete in the men and women singles and doubles, as well as mixed doubles.

While in Mauritius the team will also have the opportunity to participate in the Yonex Mauritius International Badminton championship, a Badminton World Federation (BWF) sanctioned future series event from August 21-24.

Ghana’s participation in the championships would consolidate the implementation of the Badminton World Federation (BWF) Schools project dubbed "Shuttle Time" in the country to develop the sport from grassroots with equipment assistance from the BWF.

Team Ghana was led by BAG President, Mr. Nestor Galley, who doubles as a Council Member of the BCA. The team is expected back in Ghana on Monday, August 26, 2013.

Gimtrac extend services to Ghana

                                                   M.D of Gimtrac, Gerhard Ferreira
Gimtrac, a South African sports equipment manufacturing firm, has introduced its products onto the Ghanaian market with the view of helping provide assistance in the areas of manufacturing and supply for the development of sports in the country.

Having been involved in the supply and manufacturing of sports equipment in South Africa for the past 30 years, Gimtrac believe it is time to venture onto the Ghana market and help with infrastructure here because among other things the country has a stable political environment with a dynamic private sector willing to collaborate with foreign partners.

Managing Director of the company, Gerhard Ferreira stated that all their sporting equipment which are hand crafted and fully tested are exported to Germany, Saudi Arabia, Japan, New Zealand, Canada, England & the USA as well as some Africa countries.

Gimtrac, produces equipment for table tennis, handball, netball, tennis, basketball, hockey, badminton, cricket, rugby and football among others. They were major suppliers for the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup and 2010 FIFA World Cup, supplying the main stadiums with all the soccer equipment, training venues and home base camps with soccer equipment.

They also supplied the 2011 All Africa Games in Maputo with all the athletics and ball sports equipment as well as the Timetronics Electronic Timing System for the games.

Welcoming them, deputy Minister of Youth and Sports, Mr. Joseph Yammin, stated that their arrival is timely as government prepares to put up a modern gym at Bukom and their products and expertises will be greatly needed.

According to him, Ghana abounds in great talents but lack the needed equipment to harness and build such talents into world class one but with the coming in of such an established brand Ghana would soon be on the road to claiming its rightful place in the sporting domain.

Acting Director General of the National Sports Authority, madam Alice Attipoe, emphasized the importance of infrastructure to the development of sports in the country and disclosed that her outfit will liaise with Gimtrac in that light.