The Cultural Games Association (CGA) was founded in 2018 to fulfil Ghana’s traditional sports development sector including the vision of the National Sports Authority (NSA).
As well as addressing the much debated ‘‘interest lost’’ in Ghana’s traditional games, a number of key factors have been identified which led to the establishment of the only traditional games organization duly registered and recognized by government through its relevant sports and tourism departments. The recent social issues with advanced features and programs in technology in Ghana has led to a number local interest reductions in traditional games competitions. This reduction or complete declined in using Ghanaian endowed games in competitive tournaments in Schools and Universities has provided opportunities to the foreign games to help advance their future competitive status. Sadly, unlike the many traditional games which give chance for the young and aged alike to participate, the foreign dominating games require body built and reasonably good physic to be able to earn selection opportunity in undertaking sports competitions. Clearly, the CGA’s agenda ‘‘play what we develop’’ and flagship program dubbed: Ghana Cultural Games Festival are not only involving the youngsters or youth but also the old ones who will be encouraged to participate in their level of ability.
The founding members of the Cultural Games Association mainly traditional rulers from different regions in Ghana including the famous and leading Chief, Nana Boateng Gyimah II, realized there was an opportunity to reorganize the Ghanaian traditional games to meet the interests of people from all walks of lives and not just those in the traditional areas. While there may be other group lacking interest to research and find valuable elements observed as a main drive for attraction to participate in the local games, the CGA working team are able to offer the public with a comprehensive suite of Ghana’s traditional games being deemed as the potential sports ‘‘sector commodity’’ where many countries may rely on Ghana for training and education to enable participation opportunity. To the African Union (AU) and its Sports Division, the appreciation to find an African country like Ghana’s strive to advance its locally developed traditional game to reach global knowledge, recognition and participation would explicitly be what appears to be an honour to Ghana.
The development of the Cultural Games Association has been led by Nana Boateng Gyimah II, an international security and intelligence analyst with more than a decade of professional intelligence practice. He was instrumental in the creation of the GHskyball, Chaskele Sports, Catapulting game, Ampe Sports, and the most import and major aspect of it is the further development of the Cultural Games Festival. The Cultural Games Festival initiative for individual communities in Ghana was aimed at identifying community, using the Games Festival and the media to furnish them with both national and global exposure and networking opportunity particularly community development agencies in home and abroad. Giving the idea of community Cultural Games Festivals and the potential benefits and impacts, the CGA has engaged with the National House of Chiefs where the Paramount Chiefs are known to have a proven practical and traditional event background to offer CGA with expertized Festival program guide. Rather uniquely in the CGA’s national program, the Association has instituted joint cultural event management with the experience, expertise to offer solutions from development of Ghana traditional games to building community interest in all indigenous games through competitive events and festivals.
Alongside those significant developments the CGA is assisting a number of relevant academic associations and organizations, with typical example as agreeing new partnership with National Union of Private Schools and the Ghana Society UK to provide Cultural Games tournaments for schools in Ghana and extension of Ghana traditional games for UK events respectively. The future of Ghana’s traditional-related games is undergoing and experiencing a moment of significant change across a wide range communities. The Cultural Games Association is ready and prepared to support these changes and developments towards ‘‘economic enhancement’’ through provision of contemporary and modernized traditional games that attracts interest and attention.
From:
CGA News Centre
