GFA to organize Sports Masseur courses for clubs

The Ghana Football Association, GFA, is rolling out a “Sports Masseurs Training for Premier League, Division One League, and Women’s Premier League clubs before the start of the 2023/24 season”.

To be run by the Department of Physiotherapy of the School of Biomedical and Allied Health Sciences of the University of Ghana will run the course, the GFA aims to equip clubs with the capacity to manage the injuries of players.

According to the GFA, the course will provide “adequate theoretical and practical knowledge regarding injury management”. It will also equip participants with the “requisite knowledge, skills, and ethical foundation to provide safe, effective, and beneficial massage therapy service to players while promoting health and wellness”.

This is part of the football governing body’s plan to ensure every club has a qualified Sports Masseur who will be part of the technical bench during matches.

Sports Masseur also known as a sports massage therapist is a person trained and skilled to perform remedial massage, cross-fibre techniques and deep tissue work to reduce pain and ensure timely recovery among other things. Their work is essential in many aspects of a footballer’s life including enhancing blood circulation, preventing injuries, improving healing of injuries and improving muscle performance.