Ghana NOA Supports IOC Athlete Career Programme Outreach

7 | 12 | 2016

Ghana Olympians Association has been supporting the Ghana National Olympic Committee and IOC Athlete Career Programme (IOCACP) to help athletes prepare for life after sport and promote the benefits of maintaining their connection to the Olympic Movement.

The NOA was invited to play an active role in a recent IOCACP workshop, which was jointly hosted by the NOC and took place in the Ghanaian capital of Accra on 23 November. The outreach session was aimed at providing practical advice, educational opportunities and support to elite athletes who have or are thinking of retiring. 

The workshop, led by IOCACP trainer Kady Kanouté, Mali Olympian and ANOCA Athletes’ Commission member, welcomed 39 Olympians from across the country to help them plan for their career transition.

During the one-day workshop Chris Essilfie, Chef de Mission for Team Ghana at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games and member of the Ghana Olympians Association, presented on athlete career transition and offered best practice advice on job interviews and other key skills required in finding employment, using his local knowledge and personal experience as a business consultant to enrich the workshop.

President of the Ghana Olympic Committee and Ghana Olympians Association, Olympian Francis Dodoo, who competed in the triple jump at both the 1992 and 1996 Olympic Games, said:

“We are grateful to the IOC Athlete Career Programme for delivering this excellent workshop to assist our elite athletes with their planning post retirement. It was also a great opportunity to introduce those present to the work of our NOA and outline the many ways Olympians can continue to be of service to society, to their fellow Olympians and the next generation of Ghanaian athletes by maintaining an ongoing connection to the Olympic Movement through the NOA.”

IOC Athlete Career Programme trainer, Kady Kanouté, added:

“It was a great honour to be able to deliver the IOC Athlete Career Programme workshop in Ghana and meet some of the country’s many inspiring and talented Olympians. We were delighted to have the support of Mr Dodoo and welcomed the input of the Ghana Olympians Association at the session.

“This collaborative approach highlights the true value of these IOCACP workshops, which enable us the opportunity to meet with elite athletes of different generations, share experiences and empower Olympians to take an active role in our Athletes’ Commissions and NOAs, while inspiring them with a great education tool.”

As part of the ongoing IOC Athlete Career Programme outreach in Africa, the IOCACP has also staged workshops in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Togo, Mali and Morocco.

In Mali, the recent IOCACP workshop was also strongly supported by the local NOA with Mali NOA chairman Abdoulaye Traoré, as well as a good turnout of its Olympian members, attending the event.

Photo Credit: IOCACP