Asafa Powell, Sports Equity Lab hold speed clinic for young Ghanaian athletes

Scores of able-bodied and paralympic athletes on Wednesday, April 26, 2023, underwent a speed clinic at the University of Ghana’s Athletic Oval.

The event dubbed Max Velocity Speed Clinic was organized by Sports Equity Lab in partnership with legendary Jamaican sprinter, Asafa Powell.

The clinic which forms part of the four-day Max Velocity Speed Summit was aimed at equipping the young athletes with knowledge and skill on how to improve their speed.

Speaking to journalists on the sidelines of the event, Asafa Powell who was one of the instructors of the clinic, disclosed that he decided to be part of the event because it afforded him a chance to impact knowledge and also inspire young athletes.

Asafa Powell believes that Ghanaian talents will explode and dominate world athletics if they are exposed to the right coaching and facilities.

"I love Ghana. Ghana has a special place in my heart and I love working with kids, and to be here with these kids who seem eager to learn [is great]

“That’s really the best thing to see. It’s the motivation for any coach or anybody who is willing to help. When they see the motivation that they have, it’s really inspiring,” he said.

“They are willing to learn. I hope they take what they learn today and they continue learning and keep practicing,” he added.

Experienced American coach Loren Seagrave who took the athletes through various fitness technics and procedures, disclosed the inspiration behind the clinic.

“The reason it’s called a maximum velocity speed clinic is that we are working on maximum velocity technique, and this is maximum speed running. This translates down to acceleration ability – which we will not be able to go through at this time. The other component of speed is multidirectional speed; acceleration, deceleration, change of direction, and reacceleration – and they deal more with team sports,” he explained.

The program continues on Thursday, 27 April 2023 with a lecture on the theme "The Neurobiomechanics of Maximum Velocity Sprinting,” at the Cedi Conference Centre.



KPE