THAT'S THE SPIRIT, AGLOW

LAST Saturday, hundreds of Ghanaians gathered at the Independence Square in Accra to give thanks to God for the successful hosting of the Ghana 2008 soccer tournament.
The service, which was organised by the Women’s Aglow International, also served as a platform to honour the mothers of the players of the Black Stars.
That gesture and initiative by the Women’s Aglow International is very laudable and must be applauded.
When Ghana won the bid to host the 2008 Africa Cup of Nations, there were many sceptics who believed that the country could not live up to the standards set in previous competitions.
But the Local Organising Committee (LOC), headed by Dr Kofi Amoah, kept their spirits high, worked hard and regularly sought God’s guidance in prayer for a successful tournament. For this reason, it was just right that we returned to God to say, “Thank you for a successful tournament.”
The DAILY GRAPHIC also wishes to commend Women’s Aglow for the honour it bestowed on the mothers of the players for their roles in nurturing them to become world-class players and also doing the country such great honour.
Some of these players, including the likes of Michael Essien and John Mensah, have consistently highlighted the key roles their mothers played in helping them to attain iconic status.
No one can ignore the role mothers play in the character formation of their children to become successful and responsible people in society.
We believe that this should challenge mothers and, indeed, fathers to take particular interest in the total development of their children to become successful in their adult lives.
In the past, many parents were averse to their children actively engaging in sporting activities, even when the children showed amazing talents in their areas of interest.
Parents need to recognise that child development goes beyond academic excellence and should embrace other areas, with a very good balance of the key areas of child development, including positive, social and cultural interaction with their environment.
Extra curricula activities, including sports, should also be taken seriously and children need the support of their parents to excel in whatever sporting endeavour they pursue.
The DAILY GRAPHIC also wishes to salute the mothers of the players of the Black Stars and even mothers whose children are yet to break into international limelight.
We encourage them to support their children to help the nation to produce more successful individuals in order to bring honour to us all.