AN organisation aimed at championing traditional African sports was unveiled at a special event in London last month.
The highlight of the day was a demonstration showcase of once popular sports like push-boxing and catapult before a fascinated audience, which included the Deputy High Commissioner of Ghana, Madam Rita Tanni Iddi.
‘It was a very good launch that stimulated a lot of interest and discussion, which is exactly what we are looking for.’ said Vincent John, chair of the Cultural Games Association UK.
A keen sportsman himself, he helped set up the organisation last year to help revive sports that once occupied a centre stage in communities. Most have their roots in Africa, with a number finding their way to the Caribbean via the slave trade, but their common denominator is that they have been eclipsed by the likes of football and basketball.
They include ampe, a playground jumping game from Ghana, and chaskele, also from Ghana, which involves a team of players running 100m to find a hidden object.
‘We want to promote them as sports in their own right, not only as a physical activity and a path to achieving fitness but as important cultural markers,’ said John, who as a youngster growing up in Dominica during the 1960s was a member of the Caribbean youth football squad. ‘We also see it as a way of diverting at risk young people away from crime and anti-social behaviour.’
The CGA UK was set up with the help of the Cultural Games Association of Ghana, which is also on a similar mission, and has established links with the country’s National Sports Authority.
The launch was held at the Frederick Bremer Secondary School in Walthamstow on February 17. Twenty one practitioners of the various sports had been due to fly in from Ghana to show off their skills but their visas were denied at the last minute, forcing organisers to use video demonstrations.
‘Despite this the event was a success,’ said John. ‘We now want to build on that and extend our reach with a view to organising a cultural games tournament here. We are also working towards exchange visits between British and African youngsters.’