What started as a community profile on MyJoyOnline.com has turned into a life-changing breakthrough for Ngleshie Amanfro’s tallest young basketball hopeful.
Pep Sports Limited, a FIFA and FIBA-accredited Player Agency in Ghana, after a few hours of reading the publication, moved swiftly to officially express interest in building the basketball career of the young Ephraim Zinser Mac-Saawa, the 7-foot giant of Ngleshie Amanfro who dreams of winning an international trophy for Ghana.
The company made contact just hours after MyJoyOnline published the story, which highlighted Mac-Saawa’s daily struggles, his training with Magic Basketball Academy at Tudu in Accra, and his audacious ambition to play for Ghana’s national team one day.
According to the company, the story struck a chord with its management, which immediately saw the raw potential that needs to be groomed into a professional career.
Following the swift intervention, Master Ephraim Zinser Mac-Saawa, together with his father, was invited to meet the Chairman of Pep Sports Limited, Dr Martin Ofori, at his office in Dzorwulu, Accra.
Present at the meeting was Miss Lucille D. Amoako, a legal consultant to the company, who is expected to handle the legal formalities surrounding the youngster’s career development.
Mr Amatus Mac-Saawa, speaking after the meeting, expressed sincere gratitude to MyJoyOnline for the community service it continues to render through spotlighting hidden talents in local communities.
“MyJoyOnline has done what many have not been able to do. We are grateful for bringing our son’s story to the world,” the father said.
As part of the plan, Pep Sports Limited has outlined a clear roadmap to transform the lanky teenager from a street sensation into a professional prospect.
After the planned initial registration and onboarding, Ephraim will be sent to the company’s state-of-the-art sports facility at Asamankese in the Eastern Region to undergo an intensive three-month training programme designed to groom him for his professional career, which could lead to an international contract.
The programme will focus on comprehensive basketball fundamentals, strength and conditioning, footwork, shooting mechanics, defensive positioning, and game intelligence.
Before full training commences, the player will be taken through the facility in the coming days to undergo mandatory fitness tests and thorough medical examinations to assess his physical readiness and tailor a specialised development plan for him.
In a brief remark, Dr Ofori noted that Pep Sports Limited is known for its success in both football and basketball training prowess.
It has a joint FIFA and FIBA accreditation as an agency and is expanding its scope to develop talents in other sporting disciplines, including boxing, Golf and Swimming, where Ghana has huge untapped potential.
He explained that Mac-Saawa’s height, combined with his age, discipline, and hunger to learn, makes him a rare asset who, with the right guidance and exposure, could compete at the highest level.
The development has sparked excitement in Ngleshie Amanfro, where residents who have watched Ephraim struggle for legroom in trotros and endure stares and photo requests now see him on the verge of a professional career.
For Ephraim, who idolises NBA star Victor Wembanyama and currently juggles training with work at a printing press in Ngleshie Amanfro while preparing to study Computer Science, this could be the stepping stone to his twin dreams of playing professional basketball and becoming a software engineer.
If all goes according to plan, the boy who once trained on borrowed courts because his school at Abakrampa SHS had no basketball facilities could soon be on his way to a professional contract abroad — carrying not just his own dream, but the hopes of Ngleshie Amanfro and Ghana basketball.