Cynthia Adamtey, the National Coordinator for “Shuttle Time Ghana”, was a key participant, in an all-important gathering of Evaluation and Strategic Implementation meeting in Kampala, Uganda, from February 9-10, for the Badminton Confederation of Africa (BCA).
The Coordinators meeting would have representatives from 13 other countries for the two-day workshop, which brought together member associations for a forward looking strategy for “Shuttle Time” in Africa.
The Coordinators from various member associations in Africa, would share ideas and proffer various ways of programme enhancement to ensure effective implementation.
The Badminton Association of Ghana (BAG), launched a grass root development project known worldwide as “Shuttle Time”, which is a Badminton in Schools programme aimed at pupils aged 5–17years.
It is aimed at unearthing talents and to make the sport popular among pupils in the country.
"Shuttle Time is an innovative schools badminton programme launched in 2011 by the Badminton World Federation (BWF), with the aim of making badminton one of the world’s most popular school sport.
Ghana was the first beneficiary of the project in West and Central Africa, following her selection by the BWF and Badminton Confederation of Africa (BCA).
The Association trained a total of 10 tutors, who in turn trained Physical Education (PE) teachers from 34 schools across the country in 2014 to teach badminton.
In 2018, the programme was enhanced with 124 schools reached across Ghana.
Some of these schools participated in the 2018 National Schools Badminton Championship in Tema, with very encouraging results.
Shuttle Time Ghana in its efforts to reach greater number of schools in 2019, would organise the programme in three periods; April, August and November, reaching out to 250 Physical Education Teachers across the country for Public, Private/International Schools.
All Physical Education teachers are encouraged to join in the programme to make badminton a popular school sport.
Mr. Yeboah Evans, President of BAG, believes in the development of the sport at the grassroots level and therefore endorses participation in this workshop.
He noted that the Shuttle Time programme was a very crucial aspect in the growth of the sport, hence would work harder in 2019 to exceed the Association’s target.