ECG Restores Accra Power Tennis Court After Major Renovation

The Electricity Company of Ghana has reopened the renovated Power Tennis Court in Accra, giving one of the country’s long-serving tennis communities a renewed home after major refurbishment works.

The facility, first built in 1994, has served the Power Tennis Club for more than 30 years. Its reopening on Saturday marked the completion of renovation works supported by ECG management, the company’s Board, club executives, donors and other partners who contributed to restoring the court.

For ECG and the club, the project goes beyond repainting a surface or improving a sporting venue. It reflects what institutional backing, private support and community commitment can do for local sports infrastructure at a time when many disciplines continue to struggle for regular investment.

A court with three decades of history

In a speech read on his behalf, ECG Managing Director Julius Kwame Kpekpena said the reopening represented unity, cooperation and a shared belief in sports development.

“Today is not simply about reopening a tennis court; it is about celebrating what people can achieve when they work together with a shared purpose. The tennis court, originally built in 1994, has stood at the heart of the Power Tennis Club for over three decades, and this renovation gives it new life for the years ahead,” he said.

Mr Kpekpena praised Professor Cornelius Ekow Daniel, Chairman and Patron of the Power Tennis Club, for his role in keeping the club’s vision alive. He also commended the executives of the club and the donors whose support helped make the renovation possible.

The ECG Managing Director acknowledged the contributions of Thomas Nyarko Ampem, Deputy Minister for Finance and Member of Parliament for Asuogyaman; Patrick Yaw Boamah, Member of Parliament for Okaikwei Central; and Rev. Stephen Yaw Osei, former Chief Director of the Ministry of Works and Housing and Founder of Lift Up God Church International.

Professor Daniel received special recognition for making a seed donation toward the future development of the facility after retiring from active tennis at the age of 86. His gesture, officials said, underlined the deep personal commitment that has sustained the club across generations.

The renovated court is expected to strengthen the club’s activities, improve training conditions and keep the facility useful for both experienced players and emerging talents in Accra.

Ghana Tennis Federation calls for stronger support

Speaking to the media at the reopening, Ghana Tennis Federation President Isaac Duah used the occasion to call for greater government and corporate investment in tennis. He said Ghana continues to compete internationally despite limited financial support, especially through the Davis Cup structure.

“In tennis, our World Cup is the Davis Cup. We begin from the African level before progressing to the Euro-African Group and eventually the world stage,” Mr Duah said.

He noted that Ghana’s men’s team currently competes in Group Four, adding that the federation is working to project the country and create better opportunities for players. According to him, four players and a coach recently represented Ghana at the Davis Cup in Kenya with backing from corporate organisations.

Mr Duah said that kind of support must become more structured if Ghana wants to build a reliable pathway for tennis development. He proposed that state-owned institutions and parastatals should adopt specific sports federations as part of their corporate social responsibility programmes.

He named institutions such as ECG, the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation and the Petroleum Commission as examples of bodies that could help sustain national sports federations through long-term partnerships.

• ECG and similar institutions could support facilities, equipment and local competitions.
• Corporate organisations could help fund international participation for national teams.
• Federations could use predictable support to plan youth development programmes.
• Improved facilities could create work for coaches, trainers and vendors around the sport.

Renewed facility expected to boost young talent

Mr Duah said the renovated Power Tennis Court would not only benefit current club members but also create space for young people to discover and develop their talent. He added that better tennis facilities can support jobs around coaching, training services and match-day activity.

He also commended the media for continuing to cover tennis, saying visibility remains important for a sport that often receives less attention than football despite Ghana’s participation in international competitions.

The reopening of the court comes at a time when sporting federations are looking for practical ways to attract investment and keep young athletes in structured programmes. For tennis, access to playable courts, trained coaches and regular competition remains central to building the next generation of players.

The Power Tennis Court’s return therefore carries a wider message for Ghanaian sport. Facilities do not grow talent on their own, but without them, talent has nowhere to train, compete or mature. ECG’s refurbished court gives the Power Tennis Club a stronger base and offers the Ghana Tennis Federation another example of how institutional support can help keep smaller sports alive.

With the court now reopened, attention will turn to how the facility is used, maintained and connected to youth development. If the momentum from the renovation is sustained, the upgraded venue could become more than a restored club asset. It could become a practical platform for nurturing Ghana’s next crop of tennis players.