EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND.
Eric Tsatsu is a first-year Physical Education (HPERS) student of the University of Education, Winneba. He hails from Mepe in the North Tongu District in the Volta region of Ghana. He started his education in the Eastern region of Ghana specifically Kwahu New Oworobong D/A JHS. He continued to Mepe St. Kizito Senior High Technical School in 2011 and completed 2014. Though volleyball was his childhood love even in primary school, he started playing competitively when a friend informed him of an impending fresher’s game which he had to participate in no matter what though he had not reported officially to school due to financial constraints in his senior high school days. After the fresher's games, the teachers fell in love with him due to the prowess he exhibited; he added.
CHALLENGES
Life after SHS became difficult for him so he decided to move to Sogakope to do some menial jobs for himself and also to get a team to train with. In Sogakope he felt far from his dream so he moved on to Accra all in search of a formidable volleyball team that plays in the volleyball league. Accommodation became a major setback when he got to Accra but he was persistent. He heard about a game at the Elwak stadium so he decided to go there and see how the players in Accra play. Luck smiled at him at the Elwak Stadium when he met an old mate who requested that he play for their team. He accepted to join his friend's team and they won the tourney because of how he played. After the games, an Air force officer, who was the referee for the final game, asked him why he was not playing in Accra? He told it was due to accommodation problems but the officer encourage him to try and get a place to stay since it would help him. To keep his dream alive, he got himself busy with a security firm during the night to help him get a place to stay.
By 2015, he had a place to sleep and started training with the Air force volleyball team. However, he was scared because he was treated as a soldier in terms of training and ‘punishments’ making him play under great fear. Due to this, he left the Air force team and later joined the Osu Youth Volleyball team. Meanwhile, he was still working with the security firm. Later he bought a bicycle to help him move to work and train amidst the dangers involved in riding on the streets of Accra. He was mostly benched in his new team but his hopes were still high. He turned to beach volleyball when he first took part in a beach volleyball tournament in Osu, Laboma beach with a teammate in 2016 just to have a feel of It and that was the turning point.
BREAKTHROUGH
Emotionally, Tsatsu recounted that one hot morning in 2017, when he wanted to fill his belly with "Jiji" a.k.a“Konkonte” a local delicacy to sustain him through the day, he had a call from the Ghana Olympic Committee to report to the office with immediate effect. He left the food he bought, hurriedly took his bicycle off to the office of the Ghana Olympic Committee. At the office, they were pleased with his height so he was asked to get a birth certificate and a travelling passport because he would be going to the Bahamas for Youth Olympic Games. Till now, he is oblivious of who recommended him to the committee.
ACHIEVEMENTS
He told HHJ that he played in the Youth Commonwealth Games in the Bahamas, 2017 where Ghana placed fourth to Great Britain, Cyprus and Australia, the African Youth Games in Algeria which also served as qualifiers for another youth games in Argentina, 2018 where Ghana placed second to Mozambique after beating the host nation Algeria. He played for Ghana in the Youth Olympic Games in Argentina. Recently, he was in Morocco to play for Ghana and they placed third. Tsatsu is amongst the Ghanaian beach volleyball team that is preparing for the qualifiers for the U21 World Championship to be held in Thailand and the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.
It has been his greatest wish to play at the highest level such as the Olympic Games and other international games for his country.
When asked about his role model, he mentioned one Mr Seidu Ajanako Edward, his coach, was a former police officer. His coach is currently training him for indoor volleyball as well.
Tsatsu is grateful for the opportunity to serve his country and he encourages the future stars to develop interest and love in beach volleyball because he is where he is today even in education because of beach volleyball.
PLEAS
Tsatsu just like any other athlete who takes part in other sports apart from football pleads that beach volleyball receives much attention and also be well equipped because they are doing well and with a little push, they will bring laurels to mother Ghana.
Tsatsu was thankful and full of praise to HPERSSA Heroes Journal for the good work being done and also for the exposure given.
Follow Tsatsu on the following social media platforms
Instagram:@erictsatsu_
Facebook:Eric Tsatsu
Twitter: erictsatsu_
YouTube: Eric Tsatsu
