The young and old who turned out for the opening of the school had permanent smiles curved on their faces for they could not hold back their joy of the gift from Serena to a remote area where education is almost a luxury. Serena Williams Wee Secondary School  was developed with support from Serena, Hewlett Packard (HP), and Build African Schools, a non- governmental organization dedicated to building and equiping schools for African children. Serena now has two schools named after her in the same region.

After winning Australian Open Tennis Championships, Serena did not rest but set on a 3-day tour to Kenya, this time round to win the hearts of needy children and parents by helping develop a modern equipped school. She also trained with children in a tennis camp in the Kibera slums of  Nairobi. Williams led an entourage including Satjiv Chahil, Hp’s Vice-President; Patrick O’Sullivan, founder of Build African Schools; area members of parliament; and other local & international dignitaries to a colorful event that attracted both local and international media.

O’Sullivan expressed gratitude to the tennis champion and Hewlett Packard for supporting the project. He also urged the students in new schools to excel in their education for a better future.

“Without education things in life are very difficult, and for me ,my dad [and] mum always stressed the point of getting [an] education.  Hopefully I am bringing fresh hope into their worlds by opening this secondary school for the people in the community of Wee; honestly what an honor it is” said Serena in an interview. “I think my victory in the Australian Open was awesome but nothing compares to the victory I had here, today , with the opening of the school with HP. I think this is the real victory,” she added.

Kwame Nkrumah-Acheampong

Quite the athlete, he also represented Ghana in the West African Student Games in tennis.  Kwame took ski lessons when he got a job as a receptionist at a ski center.   In an interview with BBC, he stated that , “The only thing we [Africans] have to overcome is the cold.”  He credits his family and his faith in God for his success.

Dedicated to encouraging Ghanian youth to ski, he has set up the Ghanian Winter Olympic Association and is working on building an artificial ski slope in Akuapem Hills, Mamfe, Ghana.

He supports Sabre, a British charity that builds schools in deprived areas of Ghana, and donates his spare money to a charity that is working on help save the snow leopard from extinction.

To cheer him on watch the Winter Olympics on February 27, 2010 and let us see if he brings the Africa’s first gold in this year’s Winter Olympics.

Evans Amoako

His love for fitness and sports began during his school years in Hawidu Agogo back in Ghana, where he started playing neighborhood football matches. His skills made him very popular and his physical education teacher took a special interest in him. Evans soon joined the school soccer team and made a little magic until he moved to the United States at the age of 12 years.

In Houston, Texas he attended Fondren Middle School where he joined the soccer team and, at age 13, won the Most Valuable Player Award. When he began high school at Westbury, he played for a year and quit because he noticed that soccer wasn’t given as much attention as it was back home in Ghana. He decided to join cross-country and the track & field team instead. It was on the track team that he developed his commitment to hard work, dedication and discipline.

“Because I wanted to be the best at Westbury School, I woke up at 4 a.m to practice before I went to school. People began to notice me so I got more disciplined and dedicated; I was running 10 miles and doing 600 push-ups a day and spending one hour at the gym”, comments Evans. Due to such determination, his teammates named him ‘The Machine’.

Jamati Online got in touch with ‘The Machine’ to find out more about sports and fitness models, his aspirations as well as some quality tips to stay in shape and live a healthy life generally.

Jamati: What exactly does a sports and fitness model do?

Sports and fitness models can be used for all types of jobs like fitness magazine, sports TV commercials, sports advertising; and general TV commercials, pop videos, film, theatre, advertising. They are the kids that usually work for companies like Nike, Adidas, and Under Armor. Basically, you have to stay on your game and be in top physical condition all year round to be a sports and fitness model.

Jamati: How long have you been doing it?

I have been doing fitness and sports modeling for about 6 months. I’m still new to the game. I’m trying to get my name out there so companies can notices me. In this short period some of my highlights including winning second position as fitness model in my first competition, Fame USA in Houston, Texas. I also did some few sports stock photos ad and some locate ad. My biggest accomplishment is the people all over the world that I have inspired to start exercising, and that lot to me.

Jamati: Have you modeled for any sports company?

Since I started, I have not gotten any opportunity to work for any company as fitness and sports model. I am currently seeking agency representation that will allow me to work in the commercial print field as well as TV and web advertising. Still very new to the industry so I pray that one day, a company or agency gives me an opportunity to work with them.

Evans Amoako

Jamati: What else do you do beside modeling?

I just started my own business called Body Fitness. Body Fitness principally runs a strengthening and conditioning program for people of all shapes and sizes. I educate, motivate and support my clients with a positive attitude in a relaxed atmosphere throughout the entire program. Body Fitness is dedicated to serving my clients and providing them with the motivation to stay fit, have fun, and further their health and fitness education.

Jamati: What is a routine day like for you?

I wake up early in the morning at about 5 a.m and I go for 4 miles and hit the gym for 2 hours. After the workout I will get ready to train my clients. When I get home from work I go to the gym and spend one hour doing 500 push ups and 500 sit ups.

Jamati: How do you stay fit all year round?

Staying fit requires a lot of hard work and commitment. I work out 5 days a week. I’m very disciplined when it comes to nutrition because food plays a very important part for me to stay in top shape. It is about eating healthy as well. My meals include low calories, low fat, lots of vegetables and fruits, fiber and lean protein and I drink plenty of water. Sleep and rest is another vital aspect for me in staying fit and healthy so I make sure that I get 8 hours of sleep everyday. I stay in shape all year round with 1 to 3% body fat. I always want to make sure that am ready for a photo shoot. One thing I don’t do is protein shakes or supplements; I’m 100% all natural.

Jamati: what benefits have you gained from staying fit?

Staying in shape has prevented me from getting all kind of sicknesses. For me, taking care of my body gives me higher self-esteem which leads me to feel good physically and mentally. Most importantly, my goal as a fitness and sports model is to inspire others to stay in shape and lead a healthy lifestyle. The benefits are endless. Being fit is just a great way to live your life.

Jamati: what kind of food do your recommend for staying fit?

The quote I go by when it come to healthy food is: “Those who think they have no time for healthy eating will sooner or later have to find time for illness.”

1) Brown Rice, 2) Oatmeal, 3) Salad and Vegetables, 4) Baked Chicken, 5) fish

Jamati what are some 5 basic exercises to do to stay in shape?

1) Push ups, 2) Abdominal exercises, 3) Running or Walking, 4) Sports, 5) Maintain a healthy diet

Jamati: what are some quick  dos and don’ts in staying healthy?

Do’s

Try to exercise at least 4 to 5 times per week, drink plenty of water, eat a healthy diet, and get enough sleep.

Don’t’s

No fried food, no smoking, no alcohol.

Joseph Addai

Addai has continued to be an integral part of the winning season that the  Colts have been having.  In Week 12 he rushed 15 times for a total of 69 yards, and caught three passes for 13 yards. He was instrumental in a winning game against the Houston Texans when he scored the winning touchdown in the 4th quarter, helping the Colts keep their winning record with a 20-17 win.

The Colts and the New Orleans Saints are the only two teams with an unbeaten record.  It will be interesting to see if they can continue this all the way into the Superbowl.

African Dance Explosion

The are several teams slated to perform this year; live performances by different artists; a fashion show featuring designers from Cameroon, Sudan and Ethiopia; and a performance by Les Belles D’Afrique, last year’s winners. It promises to be an entertainment-packed evening, highlighting some of the best in contemporary African entertainment.

The competitors will be Afro1, an all boy team; the Burundi Drummers of Atlanta, a phenomenal group made up of former refugees; the Karene dancers; and WaSaNiFu, the group that came in second in the African Dance Exhibition last year.

The show’s format is very simple: African dance teams from all over North America will be battling to be crowned America’s Best African Dance Crew. The teams will face off in 2 main dance categories: Traditional and Contemporary, during which they will show their best choreographed African dances moves to an accredited panel of judges and audience.

Les Belles d'Afrique

The African Dance Exhibition was designed for an audience that enjoys Africa and seeks to experience some of its cultural beauty.

This show will give you a beautiful taste of Africa. It is definitely a show not to be missed. To purchase tickets, go to Ticketmaster (keywords: Lisner Auditorium or African Dance Exhibition) or visit Eventbrite.

Osi Umenyiora

He didn’t disappoint either.  He forced a fumble by Redskin’s Jason Campbell, and then ran the ball back 37 yards to score a touchdown. Teammate Mathias Kiwanuka said that he knew he had to go to the endzone when he saw Osi pick up the ball.

This is his third career touchdown and the second time that he has recorded a sack, force fumble, fumble recovery, and a touchdown all in one game.  Aaahhhh!  Welcome back Osi.  Great to see that the knee surgery was successful and he is none the worse for wear over that lateral meniscus tear.

Achille Emana and Samuel Eto'o

Egypt was able to hold its own against Rwanda and moved closer to it’s World Cup aspirations. It now has the same number of points that Algeria has.

Malawi beat Guinea 2-1 in Blantyre and Didier Drogba helped his Cote D’Ivoire team whip Burkina Faso by a humiliating 5-1, putting the Elephants in a wonderful position of being able to qualify with a draw in any of their final two games. Yaya Toure  and Abdulkader Keita helped to solidify the trouncing with a goal each for the mighty Elephants.

Algeria beat Zambia 1-0 to remain in the running for the World Cup in 2010.  The win puts them on top in Group C. Michael Essien was equally happy to help Ghana beat Sudan (with help from Sulley Muntari), placing the Black Stars firmly in a spot on the roster of teams that will be playing in the 2010 World Cup.  Ghana is the first African team to qualify.

ALREADY QUALIFIED

Hosts – South Africa
From Europe/UEFA – Netherlands
From South America – Brazil
From Africa – Ghana
From Asia/AFC – Australia
From Asia/AFC – Japan
From Asia/AFC - South Korea
From Asia/AFC – Korea DPR

For detailed stats, visit the FIFA website.

On September 9 2009, Cameroon will play Gabon. In October 10 2009, Nigeria will play Mozambique, Tunisia will play Kenya, Egypt will play Zambia, Sudan will play Mali, Cote d’Ivoire will play Malawi, Gabon will play Morocco, and Cameroon will play Togo.

Camp Marafiki (photo: Camp Marafiki)

Camp Marafiki (Kiswahili for ‘friends’) offers an opportunity for a person to train with top runners from around the world including  Andrew Musuva, Jonathan Ndambuki, Mbarak  Hussein, Patrick Kiptum, Abebe Yimer, and Gena Tufa.   The staff include top experts in the fields of sports medicine, physical therapy, massage therapy, and nutrition under the direction of Jon Woo, MD.

Group runs are offered twice a day, and runners are introduced to authentic East African foods including ugali (a kind of porridge made out of maize), githeri (maize and beans), and contemporary New Mexican cuisine.

To learn more about this great program, visit their website.

Abou Diaby

In other sports news, Chiuzor Okonkwo was named Nigerian Premier League’s ‘Best Player’.  A very versatile player, he can play both defence and midfield positions. Other winners included Monday Odigie (Best Coach), and Bassey Akpan (Best Goalkeeper). Orok Akarandut walked away with the Goal King award after equaling Ishaya Jatau’s record by scoring 17 goals.

Emmanuel Adebayor helped Manchester City hold its own against the Wolverhampton Wanderers in what turned out to  be a tenuous victory.  The Wolves gave them a serious run for their money and I am sure that City will be sure to respect the talent in the Wolves team the next time they play against them.

Morrocan striker, Marouane Chamakh, has decided  to stay with Bordeux and will not be moving to West Ham United, as had been previously rumored.  He would like to eventually play for the Premier League though, and has not ruled out the possibility of moving over to them.

Nigerian strikers, Yakubu Aiyegbeni (Everton)  and Obafemi Martins (Wolfsburg), will not be representing Nigeria in the qualifying game against Tunisia next month.  Citing uncertainty of their game-readiness, coach Shuaibu Amodu noted that while he wasn’t sure if they could recover in time, he was happy to have Chinedu Obasi (Hoffenheim) on the team after his recovery from his injury.

The Eagles Sports Foundation is a charity organization which aims to discover and develop young athletes to represent Ghana at the international level in events, such as the Olympic Games, and in World Championships. According to Nicola, the foundation hopes to set up training clubs similar to those in the USA and UK, all across Ghana to facilitate the objectives of the foundation.

She has observed that Ghana always struggles to find adequate numbers of skilled athletes to represent the country at international competitions and yet no pragmatic measures are taken to help save the situation. Meanwhile, she said “….there are a lot of athletes who want to represent Ghana one day at such world events, but there aren’t any concrete structures in place for Ghana to scout for such athletes.”
According to Nicola, her foundation will be raising funds in both the UK and Ghana to establish an athletic club like the football clubs, to help train school children and individuals who are interested in athletics season after season, to get them prepared. During the recent launch of the foundation in Accra, the Minister of Youth and Sports, Mr Rashid Pelpuo, shared the government’s commitment to the cause and made a donation to the foundation.

The Eagle Sports Foundation has identified a number of projects that need to be carried out to help set a solid foundation for athletes. This includes the development of Eagle Sport Foundation track and field training ground; provision of track and field equipment; a coach education program; training camps for athletes and several others.

Nicola, who was crowned Miss Ghana-UK in 2008, has been an athlete from the age of 8, with sprinting as her favorite sport.  Her ambition had always been to run in the Olympic Games. She left Ghana for the UK at the age of 15 to be able to train as an athlete since Ghana didn’t afford her that opportunity. She has graduated from the Roe Hampton University in UK with a degree in Sports and Exercise Science.