Betway Ghana, an online betting outfit has started its “Betway Talent Search” in Takoradi aimed at unearthing football talents.
The Betway Talent Search, a football scouting project, would target young footballers between the ages of 18 and 25 years. The talent search was held at the Essikado Park, Takoradi.
Former Black Stars skipper, now the Technical Coordinator for the senior national football team, Stephen Appiah, has been named as the Icon of the Betway Talent search.
Other members of the scouting team are Black Stars team B Coach Maxwell Konadu, Eric Antwi Ofori, a trainer at the Lizzy sports complex, Ebenezer Akwasi Sefa, Ben Adjei, Twumasi Forkuoh, Prince Odei and Godfred Aduobe.
The first phase of the talent hunt saw over 300 footballers in attendance, out of which 16 were selected by the technical team.
Stephen Appiah said he endorsed the project because he was also discovered as a footballer at the Colts level, as well as his desire to see grassroots football revived in Ghana once again.
“Ghana has a lot of football talents, with most of them coming from poor backgrounds and cannot afford to join the soccer academies.
“A Project like this gives aspiring footballers the opportunity to exhibit their talents and make it to the top”, Appiah said.
On his part, Antwi Ofori was very impressed with the turnout at the event and the amazing talents exhibited. He said “the Takoradi event sets a good precedence for the subsequent events because of the quality of talent we have seen here today”.
The Marketing Manager of Betway Ghana, Kwabena Oppong Nkrumah, explained that the Betway Talent Search targets footballers between the ages of 18 and 25, saying that, as a betting outfit, they engage only persons above 18 as stipulated by law.
He said most football talent hunts usually focuses on young footballers under 12 and 16 years, leaving those between 18 and 25 out.
“It is for this reason that the Betway Talent Search decided to target footballers between the ages of 18 and 25 years.”
The Betway Talent Search continues in Koforidua, in the Eastern Region on Saturday, July 15 and on July 22 in the Ashanti Region before the climax on July 29 in Accra.
Betway also sponsors Ghana Premier League side AshantiGold S.C as part of Betway’s commitment to whip up interest sports betting in Ghana.