Prisons Service Pedals Into Competitive Cycling

The Ghana Prisons Service has taken a significant step towards joining Ghana’s competitive cycling landscape after receiving four sports racing bicycles from the Ghana Cycling Federation (GCF) in partnership with the African Cycling Network Satellite. The donation, made at the Ghana Prisons Service Headquarters in Accra, marks the beginning of a broader initiative aimed at establishing structured cycling teams within Ghana’s security services, including the Ghana Police Service and the Ghana Armed Forces, to prepare athletes for local, continental and international competitions.

Officials behind the initiative say the programme seeks to bridge a longstanding gap in Ghana’s participation in security services cycling competitions, where the country has traditionally been represented only by observers rather than competing athletes. Speaking during the presentation ceremony, Secretary General of the Ghana Cycling Federation, Shaaban Mohammed, said the absence of dedicated cycling teams within the country’s security agencies had denied Ghana the opportunity to compete in annual security services games held across Africa and other international platforms.

According to him, the federation is determined to change that narrative by building sustainable cycling structures within the security institutions and nurturing officers with the potential to compete at elite levels. He explained that the federation’s decision to begin with the Ghana Prisons Service followed the discovery of promising talent among prison officers during a Parkinson’s disease awareness cycling event at the University of Ghana, Legon. The officers, he revealed, impressed organisers by riding alongside professional cyclists and demonstrating the ability to cover distances of between 40 and 50 miles. Mr Mohammed noted that the performances convinced the federation that the security services possess untapped cycling talent capable of excelling with proper training, coaching and equipment.

Beyond competition, he said the initiative could also become a powerful recruitment tool by encouraging young cycling enthusiasts to pursue careers within the country’s security agencies while developing their sporting abilities. He stressed that investing in youth development through sports remains essential to the country’s future, adding that structured sporting opportunities create pathways for talent identification, discipline and national representation.

Receiving the bicycles on behalf of the Ghana Prisons Service, Deputy Director of Prisons in charge of Procurement, Fiifi Dontoh, expressed gratitude to the Ghana Cycling Federation and its partners for the support. He acknowledged that although the service has established teams in football, boxing and athletics, cycling has largely remained an informal recreational activity among officers with personal interest in the sport.

Mr Dontoh said the donation provides the foundation for the Prisons Service to establish an organised cycling programme, train interested officers and eventually develop a competitive team capable of participating in national events and representing Ghana in international competitions. He assured the federation that the service would take advantage of the opportunity by nurturing genuine cycling talent and integrating the sport into its wider sporting activities.

The Ghana Cycling Federation disclosed that discussions are also underway to establish cycling teams within the Ghana Police Service and the Ghana Armed Forces, with the Prisons Service becoming the first security institution to receive bicycles under the initiative. The federation further expressed optimism that the programme would inspire other security organisations, including the Ghana Immigration Service and the Ghana National Fire Service, to establish cycling teams, broadening participation in the sport and strengthening Ghana’s presence in regional and global cycling competitions.

The initiative is expected to enhance talent development, deepen collaboration between sports administrators and the security services, and position cycling as another avenue through which Ghana can nurture athletes capable of competing on the international stage.

Source: Graphic online
Author: Joyce Owusu