From The Guardian

Barely audible above the din of schoolchildren enjoying their afternoon dip in the pool, Eric Sarpong – an engineer in the Ghanaian armed forces – explains why he loves swimming. It’s not just a question of exercise, he says, but also focus, and it keeps him away from the more negative distractions that get some of his army colleagues into trouble.

“I come swimming three times a week, for two or three hours at a time,” he says, blinking to get the chlorine out of his eyes as he dries off in the capital, Accra. “It helps me stay fit, and it stops me wasting time on certain other activities that are not good for you.”

Sarpong enthuses about China, which, through state-run company Poly Technologies Inc (PTI), donated the sports complex to the armed forces in 2011.

As well as the Olympic-size pool, complete with sun loungers, there’s a gym, with weights and cardio equipment, and a studio where soldiers and civilians mingle over step aerobics, the Tae Bo fitness system, a weight loss programme and African dance. There are tennis courts, seven-a-side football pitches, volleyball, beach volleyball and a restaurant run by the Southern Fried Chicken franchise.

Read more at guardian.co.uk