Taekwondo instructor, Kezia Gbeje has pleaded with the government and the media to throw some light on Martial Arts as they do to football.
Being one of the few ladies in Ghana in the Martial Arts (taekwondo) industry despite the conceptions surrounding it, she spoke about the challenges of being a taekwondo athlete in Ghana.
“The media focuses on only football and that is what we are fighting for. That we also get the attention so that when we win, they can also put us out there,” she said on SVTV Africa.
Kezia revealed that they received little to no financial assistance from the government. Most often, they attend international tournaments without sponsorship but they compete in the name of Ghana.
“We are supposed to but we don’t. Even though we go in the name of Ghana we don’t receive any support from the government. When there is a competition and you want to go, you have to look for a sponsor or pay yourself,” she told the host, DJ Nyaami.
Kezia also pleaded with the media to give some attention to them.
“We need help. Other sports need help and support. We also want the media to help us so we can also make it in the sports world. The focus is too much on football. Martial Arts and the other ones also need it. When we win AFCON, it’s just one trophy but when a taekwondo athlete wins, it’s 16 medals because we have 16 weight categories.”
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