The Ghana Athletics Association with support from Nestle Ghana Limited and the International Associations of Athletics Federations (IAAF) have launched the first ever national athletics development programme in Accra.

The programme, a Nestle initiative is to encourage kids who are in elementary school and between the ages of 7-12 years participate in athletics and educate them about a healthy lifestyle in order to ensure the development of future athletes.

The President of the Ghana Athletics Association, Prof.Francis Dodoo said the programme will form the basis for the proper training and development of athletes through the use of rudimentary methods of practice.

“This programme is going to be great for the future growth of athletics.We went a long period where the gap between our top athletes and junior athletes could not be bridged.We now have a consolidated group of youth athletes and this programme will ensure that we will have a crop not too far behind,prepared with the proper technique.”

The project has so far reached six million kids in 21 countries.In Ghana ,the healthy kids programme was launched in Ghana in 2011, and has so far reached 4,000 kids in the Agona East and Juaboso districts in the Central and Western Region. Deputy Minister for Youth and Sports, Joseph Yamin said plans are advanced to contruct mini stadia for all purposes in the districts for the youth. He expressed that the government was ready to support all sporting disciplines and appealed to corporate bodies to support athletics as it is a sport that can win Ghana more medals at international sporting events.

Members of the national junior athletics team were introduced at the function.