The rudiments of “Sports For All” origin existed in the Gold Coast (now Ghana) in the form of games and other related activities organized by clans enthusiasts to celebrate important memorable events such as Harvests, Religious Festivals and Ritual Dances.
The games were opened to all irrespective of age, sex or socio-economic position, provided one was willing and wishing to participate. These activities were public mass participation in character.
The main aim of the festive games and activities was to socialize. Create a fund and to unite them as one people with a common destiny.
They then embarked upon a vigorous programme to develop and promote some of the games as disciplines to elevate participants who excel for participation at international competitions and tournaments.
The achievement of political Independence for (then Gold Coast) Ghana opened the way for public mass participation at the national level instead of clan level.
On 19th July 1997 a Government policy “Sports For All” was declared. The main aim of the policy is the involvement of public participation in sporting activities to achieve all-round physical, mental, spiritual, social and cultural development of the GHANAIAN citizenry as a nation.
The discipline was imported by Dr Honorius Akpeere from the Union of Soviets Socialists Republic (USSR). It was first founded and declared on 19th July 1997 in Ghana. Dr Akpeere introduced the discipline to Ghana in 1977.
The various disciplines were run by Sporting Clubs in Africa, and in the world as a whole, it was run by Sporting Clubs, Cooperatives and Trade Unions (e.g. In the Socialists countries).
The relevance of Sports For All discipline is to achieve all-round physical, mental, spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of the Ghanaian citizenry and uniting them as one people with a common destiny. Sports For All is not a discipline for excellence at the Olympic level thus it has no ranking.
The Sports For All is the basic discipline from which all other disciplines emerged to be sports for excellence at the Olympic level of different International championships.
The first Chairman for the Sports For All discipline was Mr N. A. Adjin-Tettey. All those Ghanaians who participated in the Fun Games and Sporting Activities organized by the Technical wing of the National Sports Council, (NSC) at the Accra Sports Stadium on the proclamation Day of the Sports For All policy i.e. 17th July 1982, and has a relationship with all the other disciplines.
The concept of Sports For All as a discipline is not well understood in Ghana. To many, the discipline is limited to Keep Fit Clubs and their activities. This is only the physical fitness aspect of the discipline. The scope of the “Sports For All” discipline includes Leisure and Recreational activities both outdoors and indoors e.g. Tourism, fishing, hunting, traditional games, Ludu, scramble, snakes & ladders, monopoly and many others; which if organized into clubs, will fall directly under the discipline: Sports For All.
During this period of democratization, there is a need to sustain and develop the Sports For All discipline as a dependable weapon to mobilize the human resources towards economic development and cultural emancipation. However, the lack of financial and material resources is a serious impediment of the development of the discipline.
Gradually Ghanaians are beginning to understand the importance of physical fitness and exercises for good health and longevity. The Association had been able to create awareness on the formation of Keep Fit Clubs across the country for healthy national development. Several invitations had been sent to NASF AAG to inaugurate the Clubs.