The Joan of Arc of Ghana Hockey- Mrs Theodosia Salome Okoh

Mrs. Theodosia S. Okoh

Mrs. Theodosia Okoh, the Octogerian artist, may be famous for designing the national flag of Ghana, but sports lovers will remember her for the pioneering role she played in popularizing the game of hockey in the country.

Mrs. Theodosia Okoh was born to in 1922 to Very Rev. Emmanuel  Victor Asihene and Madam Dora Ahensihene, both from Enyum in the Eastern part of Ghana .  She attended school at Asante Effiduase and later Basel Mission Girls School at Agogo. She later became a teacher and taught briefly at Kukurantumi and later took an examination in Arts which gradually led her into her career.

Married to the then Secretary to the Cabinet Mr. E.K.Okoh , the keen hockey enthusiast was able to convince the husband to use his influence at the government headquarters to keep the site very much against the wishes of town planners who had earmarked the area for the construction of government offices.

At this time, the national cricket oval near the Black Star Square had been destroyed to accommodate the Volta River Authority and Electricity Corporation head offices. The Accra Great Olympics Park adjacent to the Ambassador Hotel had been taken over by high office complex including the Hall of Technology.

Mrs. Okoh had insisted that the only way to generate interest in the relatively unknown hockey was to bring it near the people. The Makola market was just around the corner and curious traders and shoppers were gradually attracted to steal a glance to see the game of hockey being played in that busy area of Accra.

Today, the Accra hockey grounds now has received a facelift that can boast of a water-base pitch, dressing rooms, hostel facilities and spectator stands that hosts international competitions thanks to the early struggle of this noble and fearless woman for the game of hockey in Ghana.

She believes in families a lot and also a firm believer in hard work and exemplary life. Her watch       words are doing things in perfection and  in a manner that would reap benefits in the future.