The Deputy Volta Regional Minister, Mr. Joseph Kwaku Nayan has said that the country’s sporting talents can be harnessed and developed “if only we all make conscious efforts and carefully strategise towards achieving such a goal of success”. Mr. Nayan said sports has the potential of creating job avenues for the youth and also “take off a greater number of children off our streets if their talents in the various sporting disciplines are identified and developed”. The Deputy Minister made the observation when he addressed the opening session of a five-day training of trainers workshop at Ho for 50 coaches and Physical Education Instructors drawn from second cycle and tertiary institutions in the Volta Region on Monday. The workshop was organised by the National Sports Council (NSC) in collaboration with the Australian Sports Outreach Programme. Mr Nayan said that the international fame achieved by individual sports personalities and the honour they brought to their countries were driven by deliberate and conscious efforts made at unearthing and developing their talents at the grassroots level. He said the Volta Regional Coordinating Council in collaboration with the NSC would soon launch and implement a strategic Sports Development Plan for the Region. Prince Ernest Oduro-Mensah, Chief Executive Officer of the NSC said many factors contributed to the country losing its enviable position in the various sporting disciplines in the world. He said some of the factors include the gradual withdrawal of Physical Education as a subject from the school curricula, low capital injection into sports development and poor infrastructure and encouragement. Prince Oduro-Mensah however said with proper planning, strategizing, consistency and motivation and “with everybody lending his or her shoulder to the wheel, Ghana can regain her past glory”. He said the NSC has drawn up a four-year development plan to unearth and train people in the various sporting activities, adding that the Council would monitor and assist those trained to achieve the desired results. Reverend Samuel Amankwah, Volta Regional Director of Education who chaired the function appealed to the participants to impart the skills they acquire at the workshop positively to the young ones. Dr. Henry Augustine Pufaa, Chairman of Board of Directors of the NSC appealed to sportsmen and women to be disciplined so as to be able to reach the apex of their careers. Source: GNA