Two promising young referees, Philemon Owusu and Keteni Mawunyefia, from the Adaklu and Dzemeni District Football Associations under the Volta Regional Football Association (VRFA), have been recognized for their outstanding performances at the recent U-15 tournament in Prampram.
Philemon Owusu received a cash award of GHC 1000 through the Volta FA to support his education. His exceptional performance in officiating matches during the tournament earned him this recognition.
“I feel happy with this reward, when I started I was afraid but I was encouraged by my manager not to be afraid. It is my expectation that in the next 5 years I would like to officiate in the highest level,” Philemon said.
Philemon’s mother, Madam Esther Awude, thanked the organizers of the Catch Them Young and U-15 programs, encouraging parents to allow their children to participate in the initiative.
“I’m happy that my child has received this reward, I never expected this reward, congrats to him, I encourage all parents to allow their kids to participate in the Catch Them Young Policy because it is good,” Madam Esther Awude said.
District Coordinator for CTY Policy in Adaklu, Mr. Edward Agbovi, expressed satisfaction with Philemon’s recognition, highlighting the presence of budding talents in his district.
“We are excited for what he has received now because we were not in the known that he will receive this encouragement. When we started there were a lot of them but most of them couldn’t continue,” Mr. Agbovi said.
“With this, it will encourage the others to come back, I expect a lot of CTY Referees. I have about 27 of them, I expect to have more, it will give them exposure,” he added.
Keteni Mawunyefia, a 15-year-old Form 1 student of Dzemeni RC Junior High School, will also receive a cash award of GHC 1000 on Saturday.
The Catch Them Young Policy, an initiative of the Kurt Administration, aims to identify, educate, and train young talents between the ages of 13-16 to officiate juvenile matches within their regions.
