GCA to focus on developmental programmes

As part of efforts to conform to the International Cricket Council (ICC)’s developmental programme, the Ghana Cricket Association (GCA) says it will concentrate more on developing talents from the Junior High School (JHS) level.

Speaking on their programmes for the year, the Vice President of GCA, Mr. Ben Nunu Mensah said they will focus more on introducing the sport at the JHS level.

He explained that if the students are introduced to the game at that level, their interest will be attained.

This, he said, will urge them to continue playing at the Senior High School (SHS) level adding that the association has selected some basic schools like Bishop Bowers, New Hope, Salvation Army, Burma Camp Cluster of Schools, Nima Cluster of Schools, Mamobi Cluster of Schools and Lartebiokoshie Cluster of Schools to start the programme.

The GCA Veep also said one of their targets this year is also to qualify for the Africa Division One league (ADOL) and also the World Division Four league (WDFL). The team will travel to South Africa in April this year to play the qualifiers for the ADOL.

After the qualifiers, they will also travel to Botswana to participate in the qualification for the Global WDFL later in the year.

“These two tournaments is at the heart of GCA and had already started training the boys for the competition,” he added.

Apart from the above mentioned programmes, the GCA will also organize more umpiring and coaching courses across the country and also organize some girls introductory programmes in the course of the year.

Mr Mensah noted that the activities for this year has already began with the India High Commissioner Invitational Open Tournament which started January 13 and ends on January 27, 2013 at the Achimota Oval and so far eight clubs have are participating.

Recounting on some of their activities for the year 2012, Mr. Nunu Mensah said the association performed creditably well in the year under review but added that their only disappointment was their failure to qualify for the ADOL.

He said their high peak for the year was the team’s qualification to the World Division Six League in Samoa Islands.

He also explained that the association organized some introductory programmes at the Tamale Secondary School, Ghana Secondary School, Akosombo School, Adisadel College and one in Obuasi.

Series of coaching and umpiring seminars were also held in Accra, Winneba, Cape Coast and Achimota to boost the technical department of the association.

Some local tournaments like the Greater Accra T20 league, India High Commissioner Invitational tournament, and Girls tournament held on the Republic Day and also U 17 tournament were held in the year.