The long awaited book detailing how Beach Soccer emerged from a non existent discipline to a national sport over a period of less than ten years is set to be launched.
According to it’s author, Yaw Ampofo Ankrah, the book could serve as a useful guide for sports administrators, corporate entities, policy makers and even bodies not related sports.
“By God’s grace, the story of Ghana Beach Soccer from ground zero to the current level has been put together in just 100 pages. It is a small portion of a bigger story that is still unfolding “.
From a status of unknown, less than a decade ago, Ghana Beach Soccer is now recognized and ranked by both CAF and FIFA; with the sport also firmly fixed within the new Ghana Football Association set up.
However, Ampofo Ankrah insists Sand to Gold is not a story about him but rather about the remarkable people who have built a potential industry from scratch with their bare hands.
“I am just the navigator trying to tell a remarkable and powerful story of extraordinary faith, perseverance, determination and sheer resilience by ordinary folks”.
The book details how an indigenous financial institution CalBank embraced the Ghana Beach Soccer project and over the years helped shape it into a respected and recognized brand.
“From day one, all some of us could see was gold and not ordinary sand. Ironically, this also presented our biggest challenge because very few could see the huge potential for jobs and sustainable wealth creation beyond just a sport”.
The historical document will be launched in conjunction with CalBank who have partnered Ghana beach soccer from it’s foundation and share the institutional memory.
Sand to Gold is an industry blueprint that charters the conception, creation and development of a discipline that was not officially established in Ghana until 2013.
The document will also serve as a template for future administrators who can tap into what has been proven to work in order not to repeat past mistakes.
Sand to Gold has been put together with wide content, statistics and contributions from players, officials and other stakeholders over a period spanning 10 years.