Pillow fight, tug of war not dangerous sports but exciting and good for students  – Willie Ocansey

Mr. William Ocansey flanked by S. B. Macauley, Vice President of the Ghana Tug of War Association and Samuel Patterson, executive member of the Association

Mr. William Ayiku Ocansey, Communications Director of Dreamland Sports Plus says Pillow Fight and Tug of War are not dangerous sports, but can be played by toddlers.

Explaining the organisation’s proposal to introduce Tug of War and Pillow Fight as sports disciplines in the Ghana Education Service (GES) for basic and senior high schools at a press conference in Accra on Friday [June 9, 2023, Mr. Ocansey apologised to the Minister of Education, Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum and clarified that the Minister had no involvement in the sporting issue.

He said Dreamland Sports Plus wrote directly to the Director-General of GES requesting the introduction of these sports disciplines in basic and secondary schools.

In response to their letter, Dreamland Sports Plus received a reply from the Director-General of GES, Mr. Stephen Kwaku Owusu (Ag. Deputy Director-General), granting approval for the introduction of Tug of War and Pillow Fight.

The organisation was instructed to collaborate with the Physical Education (P.E.) and sports unit of the GES at the headquarters to plan and organise programmes and activities for the implementation of these sports, with the aim of discovering and nurturing young talents without disrupting the teaching and learning process.

However, Mr. Ocansey expressed surprise and disappointment regarding some media reports, which criticised the approval given to Dreamland Sports Plus. The reports made several inaccurate allegations, which Mr. Ocansey sought to refute.

First, it was claimed that there is no Tug of War Association in Ghana. Mr. Ocansey clarified that there is indeed a national Tug of War Association, which received a provisional certificate from the National Sports Authority in February 2023.

Second, the programme suggested that Pillow Fight is dangerous due to the possibility of placing a stone in the pillow. Mr. Ocansey explained that Dreamland Sports Plus provides specially-designed pillows for these fights, which are soft and certified by the International Pillow Fight Championship. These pillows pose no risk of injury.

Another false claim made in the programme was that students participating in these sports would disrupt classroom learning. Mr. Ocansey reassured that the GES has a structured timetable, and during physical education (P.E.) periods, all students participate together as a class.

Regarding the permission granted by the GES, the reports alleged that it only applied to pre-tertiary institutions and not universities. Mr. Ocansey invited the media to judge for themselves if this claim holds true because his outfit had organised many events at tertiary institutions in the past.

Mr. Ocansey concluded emphasizing the importance of sports in schools for mental development, stating that participating in sports helps improve memory and intellectual capacity, aside making the students fit and alert.

Mr, Stephen Mensah, an aspiring Assembly Member for Okaikoi Electoral Area said he has watched the two exciting disciplines and hopes to organize a massive competition very soon to involve adults and kids.

85 years old Alhaji Abdullah Showumi Williams, a former Vice President of the Ghana Boxing Authority (GBA)  and official of Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) said sports is good for kids and even some dangerous sports like boxing which he was involved in for many years has given the country more laurels, medals and champions than any sport.

From Sammy Heywood Okine