With championship after title and a place in the annals of hockey history, Elizabeth Opoku, the inspirational captain of GRA Royal Ladies, has dominated Ghanaian and African hockey.
But even after a remarkable career filled with honors and awards, her ultimate goal of competing in the Olympic Games has not been realized.
The fire continues to burn for the four-time Hockey Player of the Year from the Sports Writers Association of Ghana (SWAG).
Elizabeth has led the all-conquering GRA Royal Ladies and played a crucial part in Ghana’s national team, the Black Sticks, making her a formidable force in both domestic and continental championships. She has had an incredible journey from a bright child to the face of Ghanaian women’s hockey.
When Elizabeth was a 15-year-old high school student at Kumasi Girls SHS in 2009, she initially attracted national attention. She was quickly selected for Ghana’s U-17 team for the 2010 Hockey Youth Olympic qualifiers in South Africa after dazzling at the Regional Games.
Her remarkable career began when she qualified for the Junior World Cup qualifications two years later with the U-21 squad.
Her ascent was swift. She gained a spot on Ghana’s senior national squad by 2012 and has stayed there ever since, competing in the 2018 and 2022 Commonwealth Games as well as several Hockey Africa Cup of Nations competitions. Her greatest victory, however, may have occurred in March 2023 when she was instrumental in Ghana’s historic 4-3 penalty shootout victory over Nigeria, which secured the nation’s first-ever gold medal in hockey at the African Games in Accra.
An elusive Olympic dream
Elizabeth still longs for an Olympic spot in spite of these accomplishments. Ghana narrowly missed a trip to Paris 2024 as they faced South Africa, Africa’s dominant nation, at the last minute.
“Going to the Olympics is the ultimate goal of every athlete; it’s the highest level of sports.” I participated in the Africa Cup of Nations and attended the Commonwealth Games, but the Olympics are an other matter. In an exclusive interview with Graphic Sports, she stated, “Before I hang up my stick and boots, I want to experience that.”
Elizabeth’s desire for achievement was on display earlier this year in Egypt, as she led GRA Royal Ladies to their fifth overall and fourth consecutive African Club Championship title. With 27 goals and just two goals given up in five games, the team was merciless. Goalie Matilda Addison was awarded the best goalie, and striker Vivian Narkuor won the MVP and Goal King trophies.
The skipper, however, maintained that their success was anything but simple.
“The tournament wasn’t simple at all. We had to battle for every victory against the top clubs in Africa.
Despite the difficult weather in Ismailia, our trainers helped us get ready both physically and mentally. We remained committed, took calculated risks, and completed the task,” Elizabeth disclosed.
Life-altering award
Elizabeth has received recognition for her talent. She added her victories in 2014, 2015, and 2019 to her fourth SWAG Hockey Player of the Year title in January. The 2019 prize, however, is still the most treasured of all her honors.
She said, “That award changed my life.” I was hired by the Ghana Revenue Authority after having the chance to submit it to our then-Commissioner General. My profession was at its happiest because it gave me opportunities outside of the field.
Elizabeth has faced challenges along the way. She was a promising football player before she discovered hockey, but her mother vehemently disapproved of her athletic aspirations. “My mother disapproved. She even confiscated a pair of football boots that I had been saving for. But I was free to choose when I reached senior high school, and that’s when I fell in love with hockey,” she recalled. She was initially intimidated by the ferocity of the game—the harsh sticks and vicious tackles—but she quickly proved herself and was selected for both the regional and national teams.
By 2013, she had to choose between finishing her university degree and accepting a position at the GRA Customs Division. She decided to go to school, which she thought would ultimately be beneficial.
“Education is essential. It was worthwhile, even though I had to give up several competitions. I still had the opportunity to enlist in the military and play hockey at the greatest level when I graduated,” she said.
Future-oriented vision
Elizabeth, a well-known celebrity now, is considering options outside of her work. She has set her sights on grassroots development and is driven to see hockey flourish in Ghana.
“We require additional hockey facilities. Accra now has the only conventional AstroTurf. The Kumasi one isn’t good enough. More people nationwide will participate in the sport if businesses or the government can fund more fields, she urged.
Additionally, she hopes to motivate the upcoming generation of female athletes. It’s a stereotype that guys should attend school and girls should stay in the kitchen. However, education and athletics can coexist.
No one should ever discourage young females. “Go for it if you love the game,” she said.
Elizabeth wants to start a program that gives young hockey players the necessary gear and support for their schooling.
“The main places to play hockey are Takoradi, Cape Coast, and Accra. However, I would like to extend it to other areas, like as the Volta, Northern, and others. We are able to identify young talent, provide them with sticks and boots, and even assist those who are not enrolled in school in receiving an education,” she disclosed.
Role model
Despite her experience and leadership qualities, Elizabeth has no intention of becoming a coach.
“A lot of my players believe I’d be a fantastic coach, but I’m not that passionate about it. I enjoy playing and watching, but I’m not cut out for coaching,” she said.
She still learns from the finest, though. While she studies Dutch athlete Felice Albers, a two-time Olympic gold medallist and world champion, she idolizes former national captain Ebenezer Frimpong and Elikem Akaba of Exchequers locally.
“I watch every one of her games. Her play style teaches me so much,” Elizabeth acknowledged. While her mother once resisted her sporting ambitions, she is now Elizabeth’s biggest supporter.
She prays for me over the phone before every game, and she even encourages me by singing Daddy Lumba’s Mpaebo. “She makes it her ringtone,” Elizabeth said, grinning.
Elizabeth is already a legend in Ghanaian hockey thanks to her mother’s continuous support, her unrivaled enthusiasm for the game, and her unrelenting drive for excellence.
However, she will not give up until she guides Ghana to the Olympic Games, the greatest athletic event of all.
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